British man held by police investigating murder and sexual assault of female jogger in France
Your support helps us to tell the story
As your White House correspondent, I ask the tough questions and seek the answers that matter.
Your support enables me to be in the room, pressing for transparency and accountability. Without your contributions, we wouldn't have the resources to challenge those in power.
Your donation makes it possible for us to keep doing this important work, keeping you informed every step of the way to the November election
Andrew Feinberg
White House Correspondent
A 32-year-old British man has been arrested by French police investigating the murder and sexual assault of a woman jogger in the southern city of Nimes last week.
The man, who has not been named but is from Chatham in Kent, lives with his parents in a house 300 metres from the secluded footpath where the woman’s body was found in a clump of brambles.
He was arrested on last night after a doctor said that scratches on his hands and arms could have been caused by bramble spines. According to the website of the France 2 television channel, his DNA matches traces found on the woman’s body.
Jouddia Zimat, 33, a mother of three, was attacked while out for her daily jog at Courbessac, near Nimes in the south of France, last Thursday.
She was beaten with a heavy object and her face was slashed by a cardboard cutter – the blade was found nearby.
A similar cutter was found in the suspect’s home, according to another TV channel, France 3.
Investigators say that Ms Zimat was sexually assaulted but not raped. They believe that she fought her assailant for several minutes.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments