Brit-Indian bride was ’sexually assaulted’ before murder in S.Africa: Sources

LONDON - Brit-Indian honeymooner Anni Dewani, who was shot dead in South Africa last month, may have been sexually assaulted before being murdered, sources have said.

Anni and her husband Shrien Dewani were two weeks into their Cape Town honeymoon when the taxi they were in was hijacked in the Khayelitsha township by two men armed with guns on November 13.

The 28-year-old was shot dead by the robbers, but Shrien was released unharmed.

The taxi driver was later charged with murder, leading to suspicions that the attack may have been planned.

Police sources involved in the case suggested that Anni could have been sexually assaulted, a claim repeatedly denied by South African police until now, the Telegraph reports.

It is said that a preliminary autopsy report indicated that Anni had suffered horrific injuries pointing to sexual assault.

“It was noted that her clothing had been removed and that she showed signs of serious trauma,” the source said.

“There were obvious signs of a struggle and of violence before her death,” the source added.

It is also reported that police now believe that she may have been shot accidentally as her abductors argued over whether or not to rape her.

The ballistics report has concluded that the angle at which a single bullet entered her neck suggested the fatal shot had not been fired deliberately, the sources said. (ANI)