Seychelles police search for 2 men suspected of killing 49 year old Seychellois woman

(Seychelles News Agency) - The Seychelles police is investigating what it describes as a ‘brutal attack’ by two masked men that ended with the death early this morning of a 49-year-old Seychellois woman, Damienne Morel in her home and is calling on anyone who may have any information that can lead to the identification of the attackers to come forward.

In an interview this morning, the Seychelles police spokesperson Jean Toussaint told journalists that Damienne was confirmed dead at around 5.15am at the English River Health Centre.

Her 20 year old daughter was also wounded in the incident when two masked men broke into their home at La Retraite in the northern district of Anse Etoile on the main Seychelles island of Mahé.

“According to reports the two men forced their entry into the house….and it seems Damienne sensed there was something happening, she got up and that is when she was attacked and her daughter also,” said Toussaint.

“Damienne was found lying in the corridor of her house, the daughter was found on the sofa in the living room. They both had blood on them,” said Toussaint adding that the deceased had suffered multiple wounds caused by a sharp object.

The exact cause of death will be determined by an autopsy.

The incident was reported to the police at around 1.25am. According to the police spokesperson, the daughter who had been knocked out eventually woke up and had contacted her mother’s brother-in-law before she passed out again.

She was admitted at the Seychelles hospital and has undergone surgery. Her condition has been described as stable.

There was a third person in the house Damienne’s 20-year old nephew who according to Toussaint had caught a glimpse of what was happening, locked himself in the bedroom and that the police had to eventually break down the bedroom door to get him out.

SNA has learnt that he has been treated for shock after the experience. He had been staying at his aunt’s place for a few days.

So far the motive of attack has not yet been established and nothing has been identified as stolen from the house.

The police have said they are using all means at their disposition and have been at the house gathering evidence including looking for fingerprints to establish “what really happened and why it happened,” while no arrests have been made yet.

“According to report so far there were two men inside the house, we do not know if there was anybody else outside but this would be established by the ongoing investigation. We hope that we can get the maximum information possible which can help lead us to an arrest and eventually prosecution,” said Toussaint.

“….What we now is that they were both wearing masks and one was wearing a long sleeved t-shirt and there is also a possibility that one of the aggressors has been wounded by the deceased or the daughter.”

The police is therefore appealing to anyone who may have heard something or seen two or more people living the area to contact them.

Damienne Morel worked at the Seychelles National Bureau of Statistics and was a keen tennis and netball player.

According to Toussaint, the murder is the sixth to be registered by the Seychelles police this year.