Three members of the same family have been discovered dead on an island in the Cape Verde archipelago.
Detectives on the island are investigating the death of two women and a man, all German nationals, who were found inside a home on the north coast of Saint Vincent.
Police say a suspected killer, a male family member, has left the island and is yet to be arrested.
The victims have been identified as a 60-year-old man, his 45-year-old wife and his 20-year-old stepdaughter. The suspect is allegedly the son of the 60-year-old.
A spokesman for Cape Verde’s Judicial Police confirmed today: ‘The Judicial Police through the Mindelo Criminal Investigation Department confirms that late on December 23 following an alert to the authorities, three bodies were found inside a residence located in the Cha de Alecrim area, on the island of Saint Vincent.
‘The victims, all members of the same family of German nationality, appeared to have been stabbed to death.
‘According to the information gathered so far, everything indicates that this is a triple homicide case, with the crimes occurring in the early hours of December 23.
‘The victims are a male individual, aged 60, and two female individuals, aged 45 and 20 respectively, identified as the spouse and stepdaughter of the man.
‘The family, consisting of the three victims and the man’s son, had recently entered the country during the month of December to holiday on the island of Saint Vincent.
‘The main suspect, allegedly the son of the 60-year-old male citizen who was in the country with the victims, has a history of psychological disorders.
‘He appears to have left the country the day of the killings before the bodies were discovered and the authorities made aware of what had happened.
‘We urge calm among the local population, confirming the suspect has already been identified and investigations are underway with a view to clarifying all the facts.’
How safe is Cape Verde?
The Atlantic archipelago is generally considered safe, and thousands of British tourists travel to Cape Verde every year, mostly without a hitch.
This is what the Foreign Office says in its latest travel advice issued for every country: ‘The crime rate in Cape Verde is generally low, but can include pickpocketing, bag snatching, burglary and muggings, particularly in the capital city of Praia and on the islands of Sal and Boa Vista. Sexual assaults are rare but have been reported.’
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