Two students found dead in the mountains of Morocco
A Norwegian and a Danish woman are found dead with stab injuries outside a village in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, according to the country’s Ministry of the Interior.
The female tourists were found with violent injuries caused by a sharp object, the ministry reports in a statement on Monday.
A criminal investigation is underway.
The Norwegian authorities were informed about the incident on Monday afternoon. On Monday night there was still uncertainty about a number of circumstances surrounding the case, including if their relatives had been notified.
– We are working on mapping what is the status of the case, says press officer in the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (UD), Ane Lunde, to NTB. They are now in contact with Moroccan authorities.
The female students were found in a remote mountain area near the village of Imlil in the Atlas mountains. Imlil, located 70 kilometres from Marrakech, is often used as a starting point for trips to the Toubkal mountain, the highest mountain in North Africa.
It is not yet known exactly when the two Scandinavians died during the night.
Person apprehended
The day after a Norwegian and a Danish student were found killed in Morocco, a person has been arrested and charged with the murder of them.
According to the Interior Ministry of Morroco, the police are searching for several more suspects in the case, but it is not revealed who they are.
The two women, Maren Ueland (28) from Bryne, near Stavanger in Rogaland and Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (24) from Grindsted in Southern Jutland, Denmark, were found dead in a mountainous area near Imlil south of Marrakech in Morocco on Monday.
Moroccan authorities state that the two had injuries consistent with violence caused by a sharp object. Both are students at the University of Southeastern Norway in Bø in Telemark.
Gathers fellow students
On Tuesday morning fellow students and teachers will get together at the school.
– We have today received the bad news that two USN students at campus Bø have been killed in Morocco. I will meet their fellow students and teachers today. They are in grief, and we first and foremost concentrate on taking care of them. Eventually, we will arrange a memorial, the Head Master, Petter Aasen, tells NTB.
The students attend the second year of a bachelor program in outdoor life that the university offers at Bø in Telemark.
– They were experienced outdoors-people. I have been informed that they were on a private holiday. The trip was well planned and it went to an area that is considered as safe, the Head Master informs.
The university states on its website that the trip they embarked on was planned to last one month. USN got the message that the two were found dead during the night before Tuesday and have formed a crisis handling staff.
Very surprised
– Everyone here is very surprised and quite put out of by what has happened, Norwegian resident in Morroco, Thor Arne Hauer, says.
He lives in Morocco and arranges tours in the area where the women were found. Hauer points out that Morocco is low in the lists of dangerous travel destinations for tourists.
The murder scene is, according to VG, on a secluded path in the Sidi Chamharouch mountain range, about 10 km from the city of Imlil. Imlil is located 70 km south of Marrakech. The city is frequently used as a starting point for trips to the mountain Toubkal, which is the highest in North Africa.
Sources tell the newspaper that the women arrived on Sunday. They were found by passers by’s on Monday morning.
A large number of police and security people are present on and around the crime scene.
– The whole region is cordoned off, there is much police in the area and helicopters in the air. All planned hikes are cancelled for safety reasons, writes the Moroccan online newspaper Medias24.
The newspaper has contacted a local guide who says that if they had brought a guide along, they would never have been allowed to spend the night in the remote area where they were found.
Mother remembers an outdoors-loving daughter
Maren Ueland and her Danish tour companion had taken every precautionary measure before the Moroccan trip, according to the mother of the Norwegian murder victim.
– She was so incredibly good. Her first priority was safety. The girls had taken all the necessary precautions before embarking on this trip, Irene Ueland tells NRK.
She describes the 28-years-old daughter as a warm, open-air lover and as an engaged person. The mother last heard from her daughter on Sunday, December 9th when they arrived in Morocco. She then texted that everything was fine, but that she did not want to use the mobile phone much in the time to come.
Ueland is from Bryne, south of Sandnes in Rogaland but studies in Bø in Telemark. That also applies the Danish victim, Louisa Vesterager Jespersen (24).
The mother of Jespersen says, on her part, that her daughter went to Morocco contrary to the wishes of her family.
– We advised her not to travel there because it’s so chaotic and you’ve heard of persons who have been killed down there, Helle Jespersen states to the Danish newspaper, Berlingske Tidende.
She tells her daughter was hunting for experiences and remembers her as a happy and positive girl.
© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today
As a Moroccan living in America is deeply saddened by the loss of those precious souls. The criminals should be punished maximum penalty. Moroccans love and welcome foreigners from anywhere. please don’t take the act of the criminal as a representative of all Moroccans. This is heart breaking
I was in Imlil with my partner last thursday ( 13th of december ). It was our last day in Morocco after three weeks travelling around the country. We never felt unsafe. Imlil is a very safe place and where those two girls were camping was a safe place. What can you do when a monster/s decide to attack you? This could have happened anywhere. Very sad.
As for moroccan people…umm… I don’t agree with the last comment. Your people see europeans ( in my case )as money. I only felt welcome due to my money. First I thought they were being friendly, then I realised every single person I met just wanted my money.
So in my opinion Morocco is a safe country where people are only friendy to foreigners because they want their money. Your people are not genuine friendly people. That’s it.
In history books i read that maroccoans soldiers in WWII join the allied forces, and they killed and raped women and kids during the invasion of Italy first and later Germany. I also read that in their culture this is the expected rewards. It is however true that this murder could have happened elsewhere too
I AM MOROCCAN, MY HEART GOES OUT WITH THE FAMILY OF THE TWO VICTIMS. I AM ABSOLUTELY CHOCKED BY THE INCIDENT. WHAT IS MORE HEARTBREAKING IS THAT THE KILLERS SHOT THE VIDEO OF THE BEHEADING OF THOSE PRECIOUS SOULS! AGAIN SO VERY SORRY THAT THIS TOOK PLACE IN MY COUNTRY WHERE OF COURSE THERE ARE GOOD AND BAD PEOPEL.
🙁
Boud Abboud,
Don’t lie Boud Abboud.
It’s the typical muslim behaviour. In public you say you’re so sorry and shocked about this murder. But in your inside, you don’t have a problem with the killing of “infidels” in the name of your religion and god.
Andy2010,
This is the behaviour of a minority of unhuman muslim ignorants. Especialy in Morocco, because we as morrocans we are not like the other muslims in countries like Iraq or Jordan or Saudi Arabia or Afghanistan, we are more peacful than them.
Me as a muslim, i swear that I couldn’t sleep after watching that video, and I didn’t sleep and I waked up sick and very sad.
If you understand arabic or french, you can enter to the morrocan news websites and see the reactions and comments of all the moroccans who expressed their grief and anger at this crime, and they even call for the execution of those sadistic criminals in a public square.
And even that many Muslims recognize that the behaviours of people in the West, especially in the Scandinavian countries is better and mor humanitarian than the behaviour of Muslims. Moreover, the true religion of Islam is far removed from the distorted Islam adopted by ISIS and his similar terrorist groups and these sadistic criminals who betrayed two beautiful young women with all brutality.
I am disturbed by the murder just as much as I am with the fact that you and so many people around Morocco and other places would voluntarily watch that video just so they would be later say how disgusted they are. What, you didn’t though you will be before you watched the video? Is it “really cool TV”? Or is it that you don’t understand that you give those cowardly scumbags exactly what they want and take the last pieces of dignity and peace of those girls as well as their friends and family away by watching it? People from Morocco posting condolences with attached photos of the girls “before” and “after” to their families – this is just as sick and disgusting as the murder itself. Your condolences mean nothing afterwards just as you condemning of that murder.
I have to say, I agree with Klaus. I have been to Morocco a few times. I love the culture of the country. This could have happened anywhere…. and does. It is no less safe than any country in Europe. In fact, it is one of the safest countries that I have visited, and I have travel to over 100 countries. However, it is comical and delusional to say that Morocco is a friendly country. It is not. It is all an act. We got stuck in the desert. Within seconds a lovely friendly guy came to help us……… only to demand €20 off us after his services. He worked for one of the biggest local camps that we are staying at. A security man demanded €5 for having a look at a view in the hotel he worked art. Another guy demanded €5 for giving us directions. We were charged for using the airport toilets.
We were even forced to pay for using a pen to full out the entry and exit forms. Where is there friendliness??? We had to pay for EVERYTHING in Morocco, even ‘friendship’ and advise. That is NOT friendliness. Ended up costing us more money than anywhere in Europe, even Switzerland. For wanting to Morocco, I advise, don’t let a rare event like this prevent you from visiting this great country. However, don’t be fooled by the ‘friendliness’.
i’m moroccan i’m very sad all moroccan feel bad about this criminal but the bad thing is criminals film the the crime with smart phone and the video is go viral here really i hope that the video not reach thier family
They shot a video and it is floating in the web.
Have already arrested the killers
It’s really the work of a terrorist a coward in the right of two innocent girls .regret what happened and offer our condolences To the people of the norwegian and danish governement and people
Maybe this will help Europeans to un-cuck themselves in matters of immigration.
My heart goes out to the family of the victims. As a Moroccan I feel saddened by the senseless killing of these two innocent girls. They were guests in our country. My condolences to the people of Norway, Known for the pursuit of peace and justice in the world, and also the people of Denmark and especially to both families of the victims. May god have mercy on us all. As to those who committed the crime, I want them to receive the death penalty. I know some people my object to that, especially those from these very countries, but they showed no mercy for those girls that’s why they deserve it.
Can I ask Norway today to please pass on my condolences about the murder of the Norwegian girl Maren Ueland to her mother Irene Ueland, from Bryne, Norway.
I don’t know if it’s possible. I just don’t know how to reach her, maybe you will be able to.
Stupidity for trusting these killers. Got what they deserved.
You should have been in their place. Clearly the world wouldn’t notice any kind of loss if you would have been there and not them.
Morocco is not a safe country for women. Just google “rape” and “Morocco”. You will soon find yourself reading about a disabled woman who was raped on a bus while it was driving (of course the teenage boys who comitted the crime also filmed it). Or you can read about the 17 year old girl who was held captive for months, while being raped, battered and tattooed (!!!) by her kidnappers. Not even rabies-infected donkeys are safe from being abused (yes it’s true! There’s a story about some boys getting rabies in Morrocco that way, I believe there were 15 “studs”).
I’m guessing that you are not a traveller and have no knowledge of the world except a lazy bigoted one. You can find what you WANT on the web. Grow up.
I have some questions.Why was this brutal crime reported so casually.I mean why don’t they include the fact that they were raped ,and ruthlessly decapitated while using their phones to record it for maximum effect.know this, you that wrote this half truths that they will do likewise to you once they finally takeover your country.
Rubbish! I am neither Muslim or Moroccan. How dare you place all the good Muslims and Moroccans in the same group. Perhaps we should place all Europeans and Christians in the same group as the Nazi. Most people of Morocco are wonderful people.