Man, 22, charged with murder of woman, 19, at student flats in London
22 March 2022, 07:33 | Updated: 22 March 2022, 08:11
A man has been charged with the murder of 19-year-old Sabita Thanwani, who was found dead at student accommodation in London on Saturday.
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Maher Maaroufe, 22, has been charged with her murder, the Metropolitan Police said.
He was also charged with assaulting an emergency worker.
It comes after Ms Thanwani was found dead at student accommodation in Clerkenwell, central London, shortly after 5am on Saturday.
Officers were called to Arbour House in Sebastian Street at around 5.10am, where they found Ms Thanwani with serious neck injuries.
Despite the efforts of the emergency services, she was pronounced dead at the scene.
In a statement, the Met said: "A post-mortem examination carried out at Whittington Hospital on Monday, 21 March gave cause of death as sharp force trauma to the neck.
"Detectives from the Met's Specialist Crime Command are investigating and continue to provide support to Sabita's family."
Maaroufe, of no fixed address, will appear in custody at Highbury Corner Magistrates' Court on Tuesday.
Read more: Family pay tribute to 'angel' student, 19, found dead at university accommodation
Read more: Man arrested on suspicion of murder of student found dead in central London flats
The development follows a tribute from Ms Thanwani's family to their "beautiful, irreplaceable angel".
They said in a statement: "Sabita was the most caring and loving person we have ever known.
"She inspired us every day of her precious 19 years of life. Her mission was to help everyone.
"She was studying psychology at City University to make this happen.
"Her whole life was ahead of her, a life where her radiant smile and incredible heart could only spread warmth and kindness.
"In her short life, she helped so many. Sabita was pure and did not see bad in anyone, because there was no badness in her own awesome heart.
"We will never ever stop loving or missing our beautiful, irreplaceable Sabita.
"The girl that was an angel upon the earth is now an angel in heaven."
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