Tenth woman’s body found in South Africa, three suspects arrested

By Rédaction Africanews

A tenth victim has been found in South Africa’s femicide series. The unidentified woman was found on Sunday afternoon in Soweto, partially wrapped in a duvet. South African police meanwhile announced having arrested three suspects in connection with another woman’s death.

The discovery was made on Sunday afternoon in Soweto, a township in Gauteng province, in the Johannesburg metropolitan area.

The victim, yet to be identified but estimated to be in her twenties, was wrapped in a duvet in a dam.

Police forces have launched an investigation into the discovery, which was quickly linked to the ongoing series of femicides in the area. Nine other dead women have been discovered east of Johannesburg since July.

Although police have been unable to establish a link between the cases – the hypthesis of a serial killer remains unconfirmed – the victims were often found in similar circumstances: partially wrapped in sheets, unclothed, with physical injuries possibly pointing to a struggle with an attacker.

On Monday, police also announced having arrested three suspects in connection with one of the cases, the killing of Jabulile Ntimba, who was found half naked and wrapped in a sheet in Dawn Park last week.

A man and two women have been detained in connection with her death and were due in court on Monday morning.

The series of femicides has sparked a national outcry over the scale of such killings. South Africa is among the countries with the highest rates of violence against women in the world.