Briton killed in New Zealand
Friday, 18 Jan 2008 09:39
26-year-old British woman Karen Aim killed in New Zealand tourist town of Taupo.
A young British woman has been killed in a tourist town in New Zealand, local police have confirmed.
Karen Aim, 26, was found badly injured in the North Island town of Taupo in the early hours of yesterday morning and was the victim of a "ghastly" attack, according to detectives in the popular resort.
She was found with critical head injuries and was taken to Taupo hospital, where she died.
Ms Aim, from Orkney, had arrived in New Zealand in October and had been working in a glass-blowing gallery in Wairakei, a geothermal village near Taupo.
It was her second visit to the country since a three-month stay in October 2006 and she had been detailing her travels on the Bebo social networking site.
Local police believe Ms Aim had been drinking with friends in bars in the centre of Taupo prior to the attack.
Detective Senior Sergeant Greg Turner of the Northern constabulary said: "We're currently trying to establish if she left the bar alone or not and a major part of our inquiry is obtaining security footage from the CBD (Central Business District) and further afield.
"A major focus of the inquiry will be a hotel phase where we will be speaking to bar patrons to try and gather as much information as possible," he added.
Det Sgt Turner said he had contacted Ms Aim's family in Orkney and her relatives in the Manawatu.
"It would be fair to say that they were devastated by the news," he said.