Sophie Collombet: Thousands march in Brisbane to mourn her death

http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/apr/11/thousands-march-to-mourn-sophie-collombet

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Two thousand people marched through Brisbane on Thursday to mourn the death of Sophie Collombet, the 21-year-old student who was killed and found in a nearby park.

The French student was attacked as she was walking home from a night class at Griffith University two weeks ago.

Crowds gathered outside the Town Hall for a candlelight vigil and marched to the park near Brisbane’s South Bank where her body was found.

Pipers lead marchers through Brisbane for the Sophie #Collombet vigil @abcnews @612brisbane pic.twitter.com/RBeLS3wZVz

"We owe it to Sophie that Brisbane is not only safe as a brochure, but safe in reality as well," said Griffith University spokesman Neils Kraaier.

A family friend of Collombet, Roselyne Trott, read a eulogy on behalf of the family.

Crowd continuing to build in Brisbane's King George Square for Sophie Collombet's candlelight vigil. pic.twitter.com/tdrUHAmt4R

"Be you our daughter, our sister, our love or our friend, you exist in every blink of the eye in every little flower in every break of dawn,” Trott said. "You knew how to make the most of each beautiful moment that made up your life but this life has already come to an end."

Collombet was attacked on the edge of the busy South Bank precinct in a CCTV blind spot. Her naked and battered body was found in Kurilpa Park by an early morning jogger the next morning, 28 March.

A man has been taken into custody in relation to Collombet’s death but cannot be named for legal reasons.