An eight-year-old girl found barely alive in an Argentinian forest revealed the identity of her rapist and murderer moments before she died.
Fabiana Sirino disappeared on Friday, November 15, while on her way from school to the town of 25 de Mayo, in the province of Misiones, Argentina.
Her concerned parents and other relatives began a search for the missing girl, and it was her 11-year-old big sister who eventually found her seriously injured about 200 meters from their home, in a wooded area.
Fabiana’s parents told local news channel Cronica that their eldest daughter “saw her (Fabiana) lying there and ran outside screaming, ‘Daddy, run!’ Fabiana is dead!”.
The young girl, who was brutally raped and suffered at least thirteen stab wounds, was still alive when her parents arrived and was rushed to hospital.
According to her father, unnamed, Fabiana revealed that 34-year-old neighbor Marcelo Daniel Muller, nicknamed Nanico, was her attacker.
“Nanico did that to me,” Fabiana reportedly whispered to her father as she headed to the hospital.
She also tearfully told her parents: ‘Look at me, I’m dying. My heart aches as she took her last breath.
Fabiana Sirino, 8, poses in an undated photo. She was raped and murdered by her neighbor, Marcelo Daniel Muller, 34, alias ‘Nanico’, on Friday, November 15, 2024, in Misiones, Argentina.
Photo shows Marcelo Daniel Muller, 34, alias “Nanico”, undated. He allegedly raped and murdered eight-year-old Fabiana Sirino
Muller has since been arrested on suspicion of murder and remains in police custody.
According to the girl’s heartbroken mother, also unnamed, she had spoken to Muller the day before the incident and said he had wanted to sell her machete and a flashlight.
Muller also appeared on the scene shortly after the rape, ostensibly to help find Fabiana.
Her father said, “He came running. He was shirtless, wearing shorts and black sneakers, all sweaty. He asked what happened.’
Neighbors also told authorities they had seen Muller hanging around the young girl’s school in recent days.
According to the autopsy, Fabiana’s main cause of death was “hypovolemic shock,” caused by severe blood loss.
Fabiana’s school is just 2 km from her home.
She would reportedly walk part of the way home with her cousins and walk the last part of the journey alone.
Fabiana managed to identify her attacker just before she died
Her mother tearfully told local media: ‘She was such a loving girl, with her whole life ahead of her.’
She added: “I have no words to explain how there are such evil people in this world, to do so much harm to a girl who is only eight years old.
‘We want justice to be done. And that the other children are taken care of, so that it doesn’t happen again.’
Forensic experts, a biochemist, a police doctor and staff from the local police station worked at the scene where the victim was found.
The investigation is ongoing.
On Saturday, Fabiana’s loved ones gathered in front of the local police station to demand justice for the little girl, Infobae said.
Meanwhile, Argentines have taken to social media to condemn the heinous act.
One X user wrote: ‘Fabiana Sirino was 8 years old. She was raped and murdered!!!!! 8 YEARS OLD! Why did ab***h’s son do it? Because yes, because he felt like it, because it was possible.
Others tweeted: “Justice for Fabiana Sirino.”
Fabiana’s murder is the latest case of femicide in Argentina.
Earlier this month, 20-year-old Sofia Delgado was reported missing after she didn’t return home from a day of shopping in the town of San Lorenzo.
Her remains were found in a bag on the side of the road on Friday. So far, five people have been arrested in connection with her murder.
According to the United Nations, femicide is a serious problem in Argentina and the broader Latin American region.
The Women’s Office of the Supreme Court of Argentina says a woman is murdered every 32 hours.