British embassy worker Rebecca Dykes found strangled, dumped by road in Lebanon
Updated
A British woman who worked at the United Kingdom embassy in Beirut has been found strangled by the side of the road east of the Lebanese capital, officials said.
Key points:
- Woman had been strangled with a rope, a forensic official said
- The woman worked for the British Department for International Development
- She was named by British media and her friends as Rebecca Dykes
A forensic official said authorities were investigating the exact cause of the woman's death, and whether she was sexually assaulted.
He said the woman, believed to be 30 years old, had been strangled with a rope.
She was named by British media and her friends as Rebecca Dykes.
Britain's Foreign Office in London confirmed the death of the embassy staffer, who worked for the British Department for International Development.
British officials declined to provide further details.
In a statement released by the Foreign Office, the family requested that the media respect their privacy "at this very difficult time".
"We are devastated by the loss of our beloved Rebecca. We are doing all we can to understand what happened," her family said.
"The whole embassy is deeply shocked and saddened by this news," British Ambassador to Lebanon Hugo Shorter said in a statement.
"Our thoughts are with Becky's family, friends and colleagues for their tragic loss."
A spokesperson at the embassy in Beirut also confirmed the death but did not name the woman.
Friends said she was flying home for Christmas on Saturday.
AP
Topics: crime, assault, murder-and-manslaughter, law-crime-and-justice, lebanon, united-kingdom
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