Four found dead at flat in Gibraltar

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The bodies of two adults and two children were found yesterday at a flat in Gibraltar in a possible murder-suicide. Two young girls, one aged four and the other only six weeks, were found stabbed alongside a British 31-year-old male and a Spanish 37-year-old female. Royal Gibraltar Police said despite opening up a crime investigation on the deaths they do not currently believe anyone else was involved.

Police said an apartment letting agency staff member notified them about the property where the bodies were discovered. Police responded to the flat, in the Boschetti's Steps area, at around 11:35 local time. Police said "They got no answer from within but noticed that the house was locked from inside and that sent a few alarm bells ringing and they decided to call the police[...] At the moment what we are doing is trying to get as much background information from both the Spanish and the UK sides of the family."

Police also said the family were not permanent residents in Gibraltar and had entered the British overseas territory only days ago. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office said they too were looking into the incident.

According to the Spanish newspaper El Mundo, police sources believe the older girl is the woman's daughter but not the man's. Police confirmed “It is believed that all the deceased belong to the same family". As relatives of the deceased are being sought, the names of the victims have not yet been released.

Fabian Picardo, the Gibraltar Chief Minister, spoke of his shock after hearing about the deaths. "As a husband and father, I — like no doubt all Gibraltarians and residents of Gibraltar — am in total shock to hear about this terrible crime[...] Gibraltarians are not accustomed to witness this type of incident in our peaceful and law abiding community. Words will fail us all at a moment like this and all we can do is keep the victims and their families in our thoughts." Due to the incident he ordered parliament be adjourned until Wednesday.

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Sources

"Family of four found dead in Gibraltar flat" — BBC News Online, March 30, 2015
Stephen Burgen, Rebecca Ratcliffe. "Gibraltar couple and two children found stabbed to death" — The Guardian, March 30, 2015
Kashmira Gander. "Gibraltar stabbing: British man found dead alongside Spanish partner and two children" — The Independent, March 30, 2015

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