Tragedy in London as body of missing Czech found

The search in London for missing 32-year-old Czech Petra Srncová has come to a tragic end. Her body was discovered in a park on Sunday evening, and her family in the Czech Republic have been informed of her death.

Srncová disappeared after leaving her work as a nursing assistance at a children’s hospital, and was missing for around two weeks. London police pleaded for any information about her whereabouts, and a man was arrested in connection with the case. British paper The Guardian reported that the man was released on bail yesterday pending further investigations.

“Some very sad news: the British police have unfortunately confirmed to our diplomatic mission in London that the body of the missing Czech national has been found. The case of death is being investigated. Out of respect for the family, we will not release more information about the case,” Czech Foreign Minister Jakub Kulhánek announced on Twitter.

Police say the cause of death is at present unexplained. The body was found in Brunswick Park in the Camberwell district of south London, where Srncová lived. She was last seen getting on a bus to head home having taken money out of a cash machine shortly beforehand. She was reported missing by a fellow hospital worker on December 3.

Police subsequently appealed to the public for any information about Srncová’s possible whereabouts, citing the apprehension and fear of her family in Uherské Hradiště, South Moravia. Local politicians also called on the public to help search for the missing Czech.

It is not known for what reasons the man arrested in connection with the case was detained by police, or why he was released on bail on Sunday.

Later on Monday, London police said the death, while still unexplained, does not appear to be suspicious. It also emerged that the body was discovered by a group of children in the park on Sunday.

The case has attracted widespread attention in the British press. Fears for the safety of women on the streets of London have increased in the last year, following the murder of 33-year-old Sarah Everard by a city police officer in March 2021.

The cause and nature of Srncová’s death remain unknown pending the release of further information by British and Czech authorities.