Police in South Africa have opened investigations after the body of an unidentified woman was discovered on Sunday in the Ekurhuleni municipality, located east of Johannesburg. The finding marks the eleventh female victim recovered dead in the area over the past ten weeks, with eight of those bodies found within the current month alone.
Latest Discoveries and Law Enforcement Response
The eleventh victim was spotted around midday in an open space by a private security patrol, which subsequently notified local authorities. According to police spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili, details regarding the victim's age, identity, and specific cause of death remain under investigation.
This incident follows the discovery of another female victim found partially unclothed near a cemetery in Ekurhuleni on Saturday. Provincial Police Chief Tommy Mthombeni reported that preliminary evidence suggests the woman was stoned to death, pending official autopsy results.
Suspects and Ongoing Investigations
A suspect linked to Saturday’s incident was apprehended approximately 400 kilometers (250 miles) away after fleeing the locality, bringing the total number of individuals currently detained in connection with the deaths to four. Authorities noted that they have not formally linked the individual cases to one another.
Broader Context
Most of the nine previously discovered victims were women in their 20s and 30s. Several were found stripped of their clothing, exhibiting indications of sexual violence .
The discoveries come amidst elevated levels of gender-based violence across South Africa :
Distress Calls: The national Gender-Based Violence Command Centre logged 6,782 emergency calls between September 1 and September 16.
Daily Average: The figure represents an average of 424 calls per day, reflecting a 21 percent surge compared to the corresponding period in August.
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