Sanctus – The Department of Justice and Equality today released a long-awaited report into the suspicious death of ex-Kerlian Councillor Anita Patel, concluding it was “likely” that she was murdered while in Sanctarian custody. The report, which was given to the Council of Kerlile a number of hours before its public release, places blame on a “foreign actor”, while accepting Sanctarian security shortcomings that should have prevented Patel’s death.
In what promises to be a controversial finding, the report also states that it is likely “beyond reasonable doubt” that a rival family in Kerlile engaged a member of a programme known as the Auroras – essentially female mercenaries and assassins – to infiltrate and kill Patel. The investigators from the Department of Justice and Equality confirmed they had liaised with the Sanctarian Intelligence Service in the course of their report, as well as the Sanctarian Federal Police.
Speaking at the report’s release, Justice Secretary Xander Morgan said he hoped this would end the saga once and for all, and once again apologised to Kerlile for the “lapse in Sanctarian security that allowed their citizen to come to harm”. He did, however, couch his apology with a criticism at the infighting in Kerlian politics saying “it should be noted, however, that were Kerlile a democratic state, that respects the rule of law and independent military and police functions, the likelihood of political rivals engaging in the hiring of assassins would not be a problem”.
Anita Patel was imprisoned in Sanctaria for her part in the actions surrounding the Second Lauchenoirian Civil War. She was sentenced by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to twenty (20) years in a Sanctarian prison; she had served just short of one year in her sentence before she was killed.
ADAM KING, Crime & Justice Correspondent
