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Australian Elly Warren’s body to be flown home from Mozambique / Autopsy results expected in a few days
8:25 CAT | 15 Nov 2016
Sidney Morning Herald / Elly Warren (right) with her boyfriend, Luke Tempany, was on a trip in Africa when she died.
The body of Australian woman Elly Warren has been released into the care of her family in Mozambique and is expected to be taken to Johannesburg before being flown home to Melbourne this week.
Ms Warren was found dead outside a public toilet block on Tofo Beach, a popular tourist and diving spot off Africa’s south-east coast, on Wednesday.
She had just finished a stint as a volunteer with eco-education company Africa Underwater, diving alongside marine scientists.
Mystery surrounds the 20-year-old’s death, with information given to the family indicating she was raped and murdered while local police told Fairfax Media their initial investigations did not point to foul play.
An autopsy has now been carried out in the capital, Maputo, and the results are expected within days.
The Australian honorary consul in Mozambique, Blake Gray, told Fairfax Media he had travelled to Tofo and found a community “very shaken up”.
“I was in Tofo at the weekend and pretty much everyone is just waiting for more information,” he said.
“It’s quite a mystery. There’s lots of evidence pointing in different directions. There are contradicting theories. There’s the stories that came out at the beginning and then there’s other information indicating perhaps a different cause altogether.
“It’s such a tiny community. There are a lot of people very shaken up by it, people who were close to her. She was only there for four weeks and she had formed very close bonds with people in the dive school.”
Mr Gray said the police investigation was ongoing.
“There’s a lot of police in Tofo at the moment, even on the beach. I think the people who were with her that evening aren’t that willing to talk right now.”
He said Mozambique was “having some political trouble” but was generally safe.
“Mozambique is having some political trouble but it’s generally one of the safest countries in southern Africa,” he said. “Of course travellers should take the kind of precautions you would take anywhere. Tofo has a reputation of a lively place for travellers most of the year but the majority of visitors are tucked up in their beds by midnight.”
He said the people who had met Ms Warren said she was “a typical Australian – always happy, always talking, very outgoing, extremely enthusiastic about the project she was on, and had mentioned she wanted to make a future continuing that sort of research”.
“One person said she was having the most enjoyable time of her life there in Tofo,” Mr Gray said.
The mother of Elly’s boyfriend Luke Tempany, Kate Tempany, said her son and Elly’s parents were planning to travel to South Africa at the end of this week.
“They’re just waiting to get the call to say that she is in Johannesburg,” Ms Tempany said.
Ms Warren’s father, Paul Warren, mother, Nicole, stepfather, David Cafarella and Luke plan to bring Elly’s body back home.
“Luke, Paul, Nicole and Dave have been given the most tremendous support; Luke has been spending a lot of time with the family,” Mrs Tempany said.
A ‘Go Fund Me’ page has been set up in honour of Elly’s passion for marine life.
“Elly Warren was an adventurous, fun-loving girl whose life has been cut short in the most tragic circumstances,” the page says.
“Elly’s family are overwhelmed and truly grateful for the outpouring of support from friends and the community.
“With so many people offering their support at this sad time we have decided to set up a fundraiser to assist her family in laying their beautiful Elly to rest with the dignity and respect she deserves.”
Within 14 hours of the page being created, almost half of the $8000 target had been met. All funds raised will be donated to International Marine Volunteers, in Elly’s honour.
A wall has been painted in Elly’s honour in her home suburb of Mordialloc. The image, which says “rest in peace Elly Warren, love from everyone”, was posted by her father on Facebook on Saturday night.
Source: Sidney Morning Herald
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