15-4-2024 (LONDON) The 27-year-old woman who was fatally stabbed in her home in Westminster has been identified as Kamonnan Thiamphanit, known to her friends as Angela. Her lifeless body was discovered in Stanhope Place near Hyde Park on Monday morning, prompting a police investigation.
No arrests have been made thus far, and a post-mortem examination conducted on Wednesday revealed that the cause of death was sharp force trauma. Police suspect that the assailant was acquainted with the victim, who held dual nationality – Chinese/Hong Kong and Thai.
The Metropolitan Police has taken the initiative to refer the case to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) following concerns raised by Ms Thiamphanit’s friends about her safety.
Commander Owain Richards stated, “We know that her friends had contacted the police on the Sunday evening on two occasions, one at about 7pm and one at just after 9.30pm, concerned for her welfare. Because of that contact, we have made a referral to the Independent Office for Police Conduct for a review, which is a standard procedure in this matter when somebody contacts us and then subsequently they have suffered a serious injury or death. And we are looking at the circumstances as to what happened with our response.”
While investigators are keeping an open mind regarding the motive, they believe it is probable that the attacker was familiar to the victim. Commander Richards urged anyone with information relevant to the case to come forward to assist in the investigation.
A neighbour, identified as Katerina, expressed feeling unsafe following the tragic incident. She recounted observing an unusual gathering of people outside the victim’s apartment and noted the heightened noise level in the area that evening. Despite assurances from the police that it was an “isolated incident,” Katerina admitted to still feeling scared.
