Elderly Nuns From Italy Raped And Killed In Burundi

The landlocked country of Burundi in Southeast Africa is in the news for three gruesome incidents of rape and murder. Three nuns from Italy serving the people in the capital of the country, Bujumbura, were raped and killed by a group of unknown attackers, reports Yahoo. What is even worse is the fact that all the nuns who were subjected this cruelty were aged above 70! Police officials have now started a hunt for the perpetrators of this heinous crime.

The three elderly nuns have been identified as Olga Raschietti, 83, Lucia Pulici, 75, and Bernadette Boggia, 79. All three nuns were Roman Catholic. The bodies of Olga and Lucia were found first. The decapitated body of Bernadette was found hours later.

Deputy Director General of the local police department told AFP,

“After the discovery of the two nuns who were brutally killed… the decapitated body of the third nun was found.”

It is now thought that the three nuns were killed in separate attacks on the convent. Police were initially called in to report about the deaths of Olga and Lucia. It was later that the third body, that of Bernadette, was also recovered from another area in the convent. It is thought that the third nun was killed by an attacker who hid inside the convent premises after the first two murders.

Shocked at the brutality of the murders, Pope Francis issued a condolence message;

“The Holy Father be the Lord to welcome into his kingdom of peace and light these three faithful and devout nuns,”

Investigating officers presume this to be a botched burglary attempt. However, that angle is being questioned already because no valuables were stolen from the convent. The motive of the killers is still unclear. A police spokesperson later confirmed that all the three nuns were raped. According to Father Mario Pulcini, an Italian Catholic priest working in the same parish, Boggia had called him late at night and reported about strange noises coming from the convent. It was too late by the time he had reacted to that call.

“The body of Sister Bernadette was found lying in a pool of blood, her head decapitated, and her face bore signs of beating. The perpetrators had abused her, as they had violated the other two sisters earlier,” he said.

The vice president of Burundi, Prosper Bazombanza issued a statement in which he said that the government was “appalled by such barbarity.” He added that the police would do all they could to bring the perpetrators to justice

The Foreign Minister of Italy, Federica Mogherini condemned the attacks and said,

“Once again we are witnessing the sacrifice of people who, in total commitment, have spent their lives to relieve the suffering still on the African continent.”

[Image Via Yahoo News]