This article is from the source 'guardian' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/dec/05/british-woman-working-in-lapland-stabbed-to-death
The article has changed 8 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 2 | Version 3 |
---|---|
British woman working in Lapland stabbed to death | British woman working in Lapland stabbed to death |
(about 3 hours later) | |
A murder investigation has been opened in Lapland after a British seasonal worker was stabbed to death. | A murder investigation has been opened in Lapland after a British seasonal worker was stabbed to death. |
The woman, who has not yet been named, worked at Santa Safari, a company offering tours to meet Santa Claus, a spokeswoman confirmed to the Guardian. | The woman, who has not yet been named, worked at Santa Safari, a company offering tours to meet Santa Claus, a spokeswoman confirmed to the Guardian. |
The 26-year-old woman was stabbed in Kuttanen, Lapland, on Saturday morning, Finnish police said. She is believed to be from Scotland. | |
The woman’s 36-year-old boyfriend, a Czech citizen, was arrested after police launched a manhunt in challenging arctic conditions with temperatures as low as -30C, using snowmobiles and Border Guard helicopters, according to a police statement. | |
The nearby border with Sweden was sealed and roads in the area were closed, according to a statement by tour operator Transun. | |
The man had fled into the arctic wilderness on a dogsled, where he was found suffering from exposure after several hours evading the authorities. He was taken to hospital for treatment and is now in custody. | |
A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed the death and said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Finland on 3 December.” | A Foreign Office spokeswoman confirmed the death and said: “We are supporting the family of a British national who died in Finland on 3 December.” |
The Guardian understands that police in Scotland are in the process of informing the victim’s relatives of the death. | The Guardian understands that police in Scotland are in the process of informing the victim’s relatives of the death. |
A spokesman for the Czech government said: “The MFA [ministry of foreign affairs] of the Czech Republic can confirm that a Czech citizen was arrested as a murder suspect in Lapland on Sunday, December 4. | |
“We are in contact with the police in Finland. We cannot provide any further details as the investigation of this case has just started.” | |
The suspect has not contacted the foreign ministry or Czech embassy to request help, he said. | |
A spokeswoman for Santa Safari told the Guardian: “We are deeply saddened to confirm that a member of the Santa Safari team was discovered dead on 3 December. | |
“We are all in shock from this tragic news and our thoughts go out to her family. | “We are all in shock from this tragic news and our thoughts go out to her family. |
“Our team is working closely with the Finnish police and relevant authorities to support the investigation that is now under way. | |
“It goes without saying that we will do everything we can to support the family and our staff at this incredibly difficult time.” | “It goes without saying that we will do everything we can to support the family and our staff at this incredibly difficult time.” |
Santa Safari’s tours start at £489 for a one-day round trip from the UK to its site in Enontekiö, in the arctic circle in north-west Finland. The company said it would compensate customers whose trips were disrupted by the manhunt. | |
The spokeswoman said: “We thank visitors for their understanding at this difficult time and we will ensure that anyone whose trips have been affected will be compensated.” | The spokeswoman said: “We thank visitors for their understanding at this difficult time and we will ensure that anyone whose trips have been affected will be compensated.” |