Killers who murdered two Scandinavian women in Morocco by slashing their throats may have been ‘motivated by sexual assault’ say police as three people are arrested
- Sources say three men were arrested for the killing of two Scandinavian women
- Dane Louisa Jespersen, 24, and Norwegian Maren Ueland, 28, were backpacking
- Sources say the men from Marrakech were camping nearby the night before
- The slashing of their throats ‘may have been sexually motivated’ a source said
The murders of two Scandinavian women in Morocco may have been ‘motivated by sexual assault’ according to a police source who says three men have been arrested in connection with the killings so far.
Maren Ueland, 28, from Norway, and her friend Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, from Denmark, were found with their throats cut near the village of Imlil in Morocco’s High Atlas mountains on Monday.
Witnesses said that three men from Marrakech were seen camping close to the women on the night before they were found slaughtered.
Heartbreaking: Maren Ueland’s mother, Irene, paid tribute to her daughter by sharing a picture on Facebook of her daughter and a huge dog
Louisa Vesterager Jespersen, 24, pictured, and Ms Ueland, 28, were studying ‘outdoor activities and cultural guidance’ at a college in Norway
A police vehicle is seen on a road near the tourist village of Imlil in the High Atlas range on Thursday, as a source says that three were arrested
The source reported that none of the victims’ property had been stolen and excluded robbery as a motive and said, ‘sexual assault may have been the motive for the crime.’
According to Morocco World News their source said the suspects are being hauled back to the scene of the crime to show the authorities what their actions were.
-
Mother pays tribute to Scandinavian murdered alongside her…
‘The most hated woman in America’: Killer Chris Watts’…
Share this article
They were identified by police who used CCTV cameras from the town and the police source said an ID card was also discovered at their abandoned camp site.
Ms Ueland’s mother Irene, from Bryne in south-west Norway, posted a heartbreaking photograph of her daughter on social media with a huge dog and the caption, ‘Our Maren’ and two heart emojis.
Ms Vesterager Jespersen and Ms Ueland, who were both named in Scandinavian media, had reportedly been backpacking in the area when they were killed.
Ms Vesterager Jespersen, left, and Ms Ueland, right were both named in Scandinavian media on Monday as the two women found murdered in Morocco
A picture taken on Thursday shows the tourist village of Imlil in the High Atlas range, which is used as pit stop for trekkers
Both women had both been studying ‘outdoor activities and cultural guidance’ at a Norwegian college in the village of Bo
A local guide who works in the area said the body of one woman was found inside the tent they shared and the other just outside it.
Both women’s bodies were found in an isolated mountainous area six miles (ten kilometres) from the tourist village of Imlil.
A tour guide, Mohammed Jalal, who was with the women before the attack said: ‘I warned them that it could be slippery in the mountains, but they seemed to have the right equipment and knew how to wear them,’ the Stavanger Aftenblad reported.
It is thought the women were travelling without a guide as they trekked near Mount Toubkal – North Africa’s highest peak.
After paying tribute to her daughter, Mrs Ueland told Norwegian broadcaster NRK: ‘Her priority was safety. The girls had taken all precautionary measures before embarking on this trip.’
She said they had been studying together at the University of South-Eastern Norway and had gone backpacking for a month-long Christmas holiday on December 9.
A police vehicle is seen on a inside the tourist village of Imlil in the High Atlas range on Thursday
A helicopter at the crime scene where the bodies of Ms Jespersen and Ms Ueland were discovered in Imlil in the High Atlas range in Morocco
A police truck on the outskirts of Imlil on Thursday as investigators continue to gather evidence into the killings
Helle Jesperse told BT the family was ‘completely broken’, after being told the news of her daughter’s death just before Christmas.
Describing the moment the police arrived at her door she said: ‘I saw that there were two police officers there, I knew what had happened. I broke down.’
Ms Jespersen has been described as ‘adventurous’ and ‘always happy and positive’ by her family, who had reportedly tried to get her to come home for the festive period.
On November 21, Ms Jespersen wrote of her trip on Facebook: ‘Dear friends, im going to Morocco in december. Any of you guys whos around by then or any mountain friends who knows something about Mount Toubkal? [sic]’
She had also posted pictures from previous trips in which he is hiking in mountains as well as skiing and kayaking.
Imlil is as a starting point for trekking and climbing tours of Mount Toubkal, the highest summit in North Africa.
A fellow traveller who Ms Ueland met in Iceland said she had planned to travel across Greenland and loved ‘being in the wild’.
Marius Fuglestad, 28, told the Norwegian VG newspaper: ‘Five months ago we went together across Iceland. Now she’s gone. We talked about the fact that life can be short and you must live it while you can.
‘She was a positive girl who spread good energy and always was gentle. She enjoyed being in the wild and wanted to see if a trip was something for her.’
Hossein, a local guide in the area, said: ‘It’s very bad for the region. There will undoubtedly be cancellations.’
Ms Jespersen (left and right) posted pictures of her hiking, kayaking and skiing on her social media accounts
The crime scene where the bodies of the two women were found on Monday and recovered from the area Monday
Ms Jespersen has been described as ‘adventurous’ and ‘always happy and positive’ by her family, who had reportedly tried to get her to come home for the festive period.
On November 21, Ms Jespersen wrote of her trip on Facebook: ‘Dear friends, im going to Morocco in december. Any of you guys whos around by then or any mountain friends who knows something about Mount Toubkal? [sic]’
She had also posted pictures from previous trips in which he is hiking in mountains as well as skiing and kayaking.
Imlil is as a starting point for trekking and climbing tours of Mount Toubkal, the highest summit in North Africa.
A fellow traveller who Ms Ueland met in Iceland said she had planned to travel across Greenland and loved ‘being in the wild’.
Marius Fuglestad, 28, told the Norwegian VG newspaper: ‘Five months ago we went together across Iceland. Now she’s gone. We talked about the fact that life can be short and you must live it while you can.
‘She was a positive girl who spread good energy and always was gentle. She enjoyed being in the wild and wanted to see if a trip was something for her.’
Hossein, a local guide in the area, said: ‘It’s very bad for the region. There will undoubtedly be cancellations.’
Ms Ueland’s mother told the media both girls has taken safety measures before going on their backpacking trip to Morocco over the festive period
Moroccan officials said a suspect had been arrested in relation to the murder of Ms Jespersen (above) and her friend who were both found dead in the village of Imlil
People gathered at the scene where Louisa Jespersen and Maren Ueland were found on Monday
Concern was running high at the French Alpine Club of Casablanca, which organises hikes in the High Atlas mountains.
A source there said the club officials were trying to figure out if the two women had gone hiking alone or with a guide.
Tourism is a cornerstone of Morocco’s economy and the kingdom’s second-largest employer, after agriculture.
Another guide, identified only as Mustapha, told VG: ‘All of Imlil is in shock. This is a tragedy for the whole town. Nothing like this has happened [here] before.’
The sector accounts for ten per cent of national income and is one of the country’s main sources of foreign currency.
A Norwegian policeman from the embassy in Rabat is travelling to Marrakesh to act as a liaison between the authorities.
Source: Read Full Article