Imogen Calderwood
THE bodies of a 51-year-old Belgian woman and her nine-year-old daughter were found in a luxury villa on Calle Daimiel, in Sotogrande Alto yesterday.
The mother had been beheaded, and the daughter strangled, in what is believed to have been a domestic attack.
The woman’s 53-year-old partner, the father of the child, was arrested after being found wandering in a nearby street with several cuts on his body.
It is believed the family were renting the property as a holiday home.
It is suggested, however, that the family owed rent on the property and were experiencing economic difficulty.
The Guardia Civil have confirmed that the murders took place ‘during the night’ on Tuesday.
The bodies were found in the early hours of Wednesday morning by the landlord who was there to collect the keys, as the family were due to leave.
Charles Gubbins, of Noll & Partners Real Estate in Sotogrande, the owners of the property, declined to comment due to the ongoing police investigation.
The property, with a rental price of €3,500, is described as ‘very private’ with ‘lots of space for playing outside’, in ‘one of the most desided areas of Sotogrande’.
Forensics teams were working at the house yesterday evening, and the investigation is not ruling out any possible motives.
The suspect is due to appear in court tomorrow.
Such a lovely part of the world the “Golden Mile”.
Spanish reports state the mother had her throat cut,she was not beheaded. Having found the owner of the villa, if he declined to comment why are you naming him? His name and profession are totally irrelevant to this sad event