Ugandan athlete Cheptegei dies after being set on fire by boyfriend
Police arrested the athlete's partner, who doused her with gasoline and set her on fire after her return from the Paris 2024 Olympics four days ago.
Rebecca Cheptegei (wearing the Uganda jersey) during the World Athletics Championships in Budapest.
Ugandan distance runner Rebecca Cheptegei died after four days in critical condition following an attack by her romantic partner, who doused her with gasoline and set her on fire, the Ugandan Athletics Federation said.
Murdered in front of her 9- and 11-year-old daughters
The athlete, who had just participated in the marathon at the Paris 2024 Olympics, was attacked by her partner last Sunday. According to the police statement, Dickson Ndiema Marangach, whom Cheptegei had a toxic relationship with, took advantage of the fact that the athlete was at mass to sneak into the house she shared with her sister and her two daughters, ages 9 and 11.
Upon returning home, the assailant doused her with gasoline and set her on fire in front of the children. As a result of the attack, Cheptegei, 33, suffered burns on over 80% of her body. The doctor in charge of the intensive care unit at the Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in the city of Eldoret, Kimani Mbugua, confirmed to the press that she finally died at 5.30 a.m. (local time):
"Her injuries (...) covered most of her body. This led to multiple organ failure. We did the best we could, but we did not succeed. Given her age and her burns of more than 80%, hopes for recovery were slim."
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