A British woman was found beaten to death at her home in southwestern France, a prosecutor said on Wednesday.
A friend found the 65-year-old woman lying near her vehicle with five deep wounds caused ‘by a blunt object’ at her home in the village of Tremolat in the Dordogne on Tuesday evening, state prosecutor Sylvie Martins Guedes said in a statement.
Authorities have opened a murder investigation, she added.
‘Her wounds indicated a particularly violent attack and their locations showed an intention to kill,’ the statement continued. ‘Investigations are underway to identify and detain the perpetrator of this crime.’
According to the Bergerac prosecutor’s office, the mother-of-four suffered multiple wounds to her chest, groin, arm, and leg. The murder weapon has not yet been found.
Initial findings from the investigation revealed the woman was with a friend ‘with whom she had been in a relationship for several weeks.’ On the evening of the tragedy, they spent the evening together in Trémolat with friends before returning to the victim’s home.
She had reportedly arrived to her home around ten minutes before him, France3 reported.
Upon his arrival, he discovered the victim ‘collapsed and unconscious’ near his vehicle. He then immediately called for help before administering first aid himself.
The victim’s friend, who was temporarily held in police custody, was released from his hearing on Wednesday evening.
A friend found the 65-year-old woman lying near her vehicle with five deep wounds caused by a blunt object at her home in the village of Tremolat in the Dordogne on Tuesday evening.
The victim had been part of a football team of women aged over 50 who trained between Calès and Trémolat (pictured)
Authorities have opened a murder investigation following the death
The woman, who as a member of the Reines du Foot team, a group of women over 50 who participated in the Grandma’s World Cup in South Africa in early April, had lived in the Dordogne department for several years.
‘In front of the house in Trémolat, we can still see a large trace of blood which testifies to the violence of the blows inflicted on this woman,’ Francebleu reported.
The victim was one of 18 football players who left for South Africa less than a month ago to participate in the Grandma’s World Cup, after training between Calès and Trémolat.
‘Everyone is in shock, it’s horrible,’ her distraught teammates told the French news site.
Known to play in a number 12 jersey, the British national was a substitute left midfielder during the competition in South Africa.
Speaking to French news outlet Sud Ouest, a neighbour that lives across the street from the victim said: ‘I closed the shutters around 9pm, everything was calm.
‘But at 11pm, I saw a lot of flashing lights with the emergency services. The police then rang my doorbell around midnight to see if I had noticed anything suspicious, but I didn’t see or hear anything.’
A sign was placed on the front of the local cafe to inform residents that the Wednesday concert evening and Thursday quiz have now been cancelled ‘due to death’.
An investigation has been opened against an unknown person for the count of voluntary homicide.
‘All avenues of investigation are being explored,’ the prosecutor said.
This is a breaking news story. More to follow.
