Outrage and sorrow at death of Ugandan athlete Cheptegei

FRANCE 24 English

Visit our website: http://www.france24.com  Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FRANCE24.English  Follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/France24_en

Transcript

00:00She was 33 years old. She had just returned from Paris for the Olympics.

00:05Now, Olympic athlete Rebecca Cheptegei is dead.

00:09She died from complications after being set on fire by her former boyfriend.

00:13The murder has sparked widespread emotion, particularly in her home country, Uganda.

00:19Bastien Renaud reports.

00:21The first reactions to Rebecca Cheptegei's killing came from Uganda.

00:25The minister for education and sports sent his condolences to the family and to Ugandans at large.

00:31Then, the Uganda Athletics Federation said how deeply saddened it is by the death of its athlete and called for justice.

00:40And then, later in the day, the family spoke to the media in Eldorado, the town where she died.

00:45Of course, they shared their pain. They said how painful it is to lose a sister, a daughter.

00:51And then they blamed the Kenyan police.

00:53They said that she had been threatened by the man who killed her for a while.

00:57Listen to her mother.

01:02I have no strength. I just blamed the police in her home of Ndebes.

01:07They were responsible for providing security for my child's home, but failed.

01:12I have nothing else to say.

01:17There is now an investigation ongoing.

01:19According to the police, 80% of her body was burnt after she was allegedly attacked by a former boyfriend.

01:25The police said that neighbours witnessed the attack.

01:28They said that they saw the man pouring liquid on Cheptegei's body before burning her.

01:33This man is now in hospital. He was injured as well.

01:3730% of his body was burnt.

01:39He will be arrested as soon as he is discharged from hospital, according to the police.

Category

Transcript

Recommended