South Africa: 3 men charged with the murder and suspected rape of an 87-year-old nun

JOHANNESBURG – Nuns at a rural convent in South Africa say they feel safer after the arrest of three men accused of killing an elderly colleague.

Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said the three will appear in court on Wednesday, charged with murder, robbery and rape. Zwane said they were arrested on Apr. 27, about week after the attack.

A police statement said Austrian Gertrud Tiefenbacher was found dead in her room, her hands bound with a cord from an electric typewriter. Her face was covered with a towel, which suffocated her. Police also suspect she was raped.

Sister Gerald Frye of the Sacred Heart Home said the 87-year-old, known as Sister Stefanie, was buried on Monday in the KwaZulu-Natal province at the convent where she worked for more than 50 years.