Police announced that a 35-year-old man was arrested Wednesday in South Africa after three Coptic Orthodox monks were stabbed to death in a church the day before for reasons that have not yet been clarified.
The events took place in a church in Cullinan, a small mining town located about 50 kilometers northeast of the capital, Pretoria. “Three victims were found with stab wounds. A fourth person who survived claimed that he was hit by an iron rod before he was able to escape and hide,” according to police.
She later added in a statement: “A suspect has been arrested in connection with the triple murder,” explaining that the 35-year-old man will appear before a judge on Thursday.
The Coptic Orthodox Church in South Africa expressed its “deep sadness over the tragic incident” on its Facebook page, and described the attack as “criminal.”
The church said that the Egyptian ambassador in Johannesburg went to the monastery on Tuesday “to follow up on the development of the situation,” explaining on social media that the three dead were Father Takla Samueli, Justus Ava Markos, and Mina Ava Markos.
The Egyptian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it was “closely following the investigation into the killing of three Egyptian monks” and expressed its hope that “the perpetrators will be held accountable.”
The police confirmed that the circumstances of the case have not yet been fully clarified, but no theft has been reported.
South Africa is one of the most violent countries in the world and places of worship are not immune from crime, with incidents regularly denounced on social media.
There were approximately 84 homicides daily between October and December, according to the latest police statistics.
