British mother of four, 65, found beaten to death outside her home in picturesque French village
30 April 2025, 22:02 | Updated: 30 April 2025, 23:25
A British woman was found dead after being beaten to death with a sharp object in France.
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A murder investigation has been launched after a woman, 65, was found by a friend in Tremolat, Dordogne, France.
The mum-of-four appeared to have suffered five wounds that seemed to be caused by a sharp object.
She was found unconscious next to her car, state prosecutor Sylvie Martins Guedes said.
Ms Guedes said the wounds "indicated a particularly violent attack", suggesting the attacker had "an intention to kill".
She said: "Investigations are underway to identify and detain the perpetrator of this crime."
It is believed the woman lived in her Dordogne apartment several years before her death.
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Prosecutors shared they believe the woman was with a friend whom she had been in a relationship with for several weeks.
They may have spent the evening together in Tremolat with friends before returning to the woman's home.
A friend then arrived at her home, ten minutes after the Brit, finding her "collapsed and unconscious" next to a car.
The friend called for help before attempting to administer first aid.
He was temporality held in custody when police arrived to the scene, but was released following a hearing on Wednesday evening.
Francebleu, a French national outlet, reported there was a "large trace of blood" in front of her home.
This "testifies to the violence of the blows inflicted on this woman", according to the outlet.
The woman was a member of the over 50s football team, participating in the South African Grandma's World Cup in April.
Her teammates said that "everyone is in shock" and "it's horrible".
A neighbour, living across the street from the woman's home, said: "I closed the shutters around 9pm, everything was calm. But at 11pm, I saw a lot of flashing lights with the emergency services.
"The police then rang my doorbell around midnight to see if I had noticed anything suspicious, but I didn't see or hear anything."
