Three Italian nuns found murdered in Burundi

Two suspects detained by police for questioning

From left: Bernardetta Boggian, Olga Raschietti and Lucia Pulici, three Italian nuns murdered while working as missionaries in Burundi. EPA/Sandro Capatti/Xaverian Missionaries of Parma
From left: Bernardetta Boggian, Olga Raschietti and Lucia Pulici, three Italian nuns murdered while working as missionaries in Burundi. EPA/Sandro Capatti/Xaverian Missionaries of Parma

Three Italian nuns were found murdered over the weekend in the north of Burundi’s capital, officials and a priest in the African state said yesterday.

Police said two suspects had been detained for questioning. A statement put out by the nuns’ order said “the murders appeared to be the tragic outcome of an armed robbery or a vendetta”.

Fr Mario Pulicini, responsible for the parish in Kamenge, a northern suburb of Bujumbura, named the nuns as Lucia Pulici, (75), and Olga Raschietti (82). He said they were found dead in their dormitory on Sunday.

The third nun, 79-year-old Bernadetta Boggian, was found early yesterday morning, he said.

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– (Reuters)