3 Egyptians Coptic monks killed in South Africa monastery

The Coptic Orthodox Church monks reported the assault and brutal murder of three Egyptian monks at the Coptic Monastery of St. Mark and St. Bishop Samuel the Confessor in Cullinan, South Africa, which is 18 miles (30 kilometers) east of the nation's capital, Pretoria, on March 11, 2024.

According to reports, the three victims have been identified as Fathers Takla Moussa, Mina Ava Marcus, and Youstos Ava Marcus. The South African police have been urged to investigate the triple homicide.

The Coptic Orthodox Church spokesman reported that three monks experienced criminal assault inside our Coptic monastery. 

According to a church statement, one of the three monks killed was a representative of the Coptic Diocese of South Africa.

The arrest of a Coptic Orthodox member of the South African community as a suspect shocked the entire community.

Archbishop Angaelos of the Coptic Orthodox Church in London said the murders were “saddening and shocking.”

Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi, the police spokesperson, reported that all three victims had stab wounds, while a fourth victim claimed an iron rod struck them before they fled.

“We do not know the motive for the murders at this time,” he said, adding that the suspects “reportedly left the scene without taking any valuable item(s)”.

The Egyptian ambassador to Johannesburg received notification, and authorities initiated an internal investigation.

The Coptic Orthodox Church, one of the oldest churches in the world, focuses on prayer and spiritual growth among its monks.

South Africa has one of the highest murder rates in the world, and armed robberies are common.