Updated: Xemxija murder: Love bites found on mother and daughter

Updated evidence by Dr Mario Scerri - A court expert said today that a Russian woman who was found murdered in a Xemxija apartment, and her mother, Tamara Gennadievan Boube­kova, who is accused of the crime, both had a number of love bites on their body. The bites belonged to each other.

Dr Marie-Therese Camilleri, who carried out the autopsy on the victim, Kalinina Boube­kova, 28, said she carried out the autopsy on February 1, and she estimated that the victim had been dead since January 27 or 28. She found that she  had various bruises which did not cause death, and she died of asphyxia from an external source - the area around the nose and the mouth was discoloured.

Dr Mario Scerri said he went to the apartment when Kalinina's body was found on January 31. He was struck by the number of marks on the victim's body, including bruises whose purple colour may have developed after death, and various lesions which were about four days old.  She had a high alcohol content in  her blood. The legal limit is 35 mg per 100 ml when she had 570 mg. Although levels rose after death, this was still extraordinary.

He found that both on the victim and the accused, there were a number of bite marks in sensitive areas including breasts and private parts. Imprints were taken of  both women and it was found that the marks belonged to each other.

There were two types of bite marks, the aggressive and the intimate, Dr Scerri said.

Dr Scerri said he researched lesbian relationships between mothers and daughters but found no documentation showing that this had led to a homicide.

Dental forensic expert Hector Galea, confirmed that the bite marks on the victim belonged to her mother, and those on the accused belonged to the victim.

He said they were consensual bite marks with a sensual aspects on both women. Some bites did show elements of a struggle. In all, there were 30 bites on the victim and more than 50 on her mother - the accused.

12 of the marks on the accused were self inflicted on her left thumb area.

Dr Joe Giglio appeared for the accused.