PICTURED: Chilean backpacker, 26, who was ‘stabbed in the neck by a cleaner at her hostel’ just ten days after arriving in Australia
- Chilean backpacker had planned to work in Australia on a working holiday visa
- She is lucky to be alive after she was stabbed in the neck on Monday in Cairns
- Constanza ‘Kuki’ Escudero, 26, had only been in the country for ten days
- Police say she’s lucky to be alive as the knife missed major artery by millimeters
- Ms Escudero’s best friend and travel companion was treated for shock
- The pair now hope to return to Chile as soon as they can despite having visas
A Chilean backpacker who had plans to work in Australia is lucky to be alive after a cleaner at the hostel she was staying at allegedly plunged a knife 8cm into her neck.
Just ten days into her Australian holiday, Constanza ‘Kuki’ Escudero was allegedly stabbed in the neck in broad daylight at Gecko’s Backpackers Resort in Cairns.
The 26-year-old backpacker was in the kitchen of the inner-city hostel about 11am on Monday when the cleaner allegedly grabbed the knife from the communal kitchen.
A pair of nurses, who were also staying at the hostel, rushed to help her and provide first aid before she was taken to Cairns Hospital.
Just ten days into her Australian holiday, Constanza ‘Kuki’ Escudero (pictured) was allegedly stabbed in the neck in broad daylight at Gecko’s Backpackers Resort in Cairns
The 26-year-old backpacker was in the kitchen of the inner-city hostel about 11am on Monday when the cleaner allegedly grabbed the knife from the communal kitchen
Ms Escudero underwent surgery on Tuesday and remains in a stable condition, Cairns Post reported.
Her best friend and travel companion, 26-year-old Marisol Fernandez, has remained by her side in hospital, as her father was also due to arrive from Chile on Thursday.
Ms Fernandez witnessed the attack and was treated for shock in hospital.
Ms Escudero now plans to return back home to Chile as soon as possible, despite having a working holiday visa and planning to work in Australia.
The alleged offender, Northern Territory man Raynard Gregory Moodonuthi, 36, fled the scene but was arrested a short time later and charged with murder.
Cairns Police Detective Sergeant Brad McLeish said Ms Escudero is lucky to be alive.
‘These two NSW nurses, who were up here on holiday, saw the victim running from the scene and gave first aid despite the risk to themselves with the alleged offender still in the vicinity,’ he said.
Ms Escudero underwent surgery on Tuesday and remains in a stable condition in Cairns Hospital
Ms Escudero was staying at Gecko’s Backpackers in Cairns (pictured) when the cleaner allegedly stabbed her in the kitchen
Detective Senior Sergeant Ed Kinbacher told reporters the 26-year-old backpacker’s injuries were severe.
He also said her survival was a ‘pure fluke’ as major arteries in her neck were missed by ‘mere millimetres’.
‘It just merely — by mere millimetres — missed the major arteries that were in the area,’ he said.
Det Sgt Kinbacher said the victim and the alleged attacker were not known to each other.
Her best friend and travel companion, 26-year-old Marisol Fernandez (pictured), has remained by her side in hospital
‘This is an awful offence — a young woman who just arrived in Cairns, here to enjoy what this community offers, and within a short period of time — no fault of her own — she’s finding herself with a life-threatening injury through a stupid act of violence,’ he said.
Ms Escudero and Ms Fernandez had only been in Australia for ten days, and Cairns for three days, when the attack occurred.
Both are well travelled and planned to stay in Australia for an extended amount of time and find work on a working holiday visa.
However, those plans have changed as Ms Escudero hopes to return home as soon as she can.
The 26-year-old backpacker was in the kitchen of the inner-city hostel (pictured) about 11am on Monday when the cleaner allegedly grabbed the knife from the communal kitchen