Belgian Woman Beheaded and Daughter Strangled in Sotogrande Double Killing

The Guardia Civil has detained a man suspected of beheading his partner and killing his nine-year-old stepdaughter.

The Belgian woman, 51, and her daughter, 9, were found dead at the Sotogrande Alto, San Roque, luxury property yesterday.

Police found the man, also believed to be Belgian, wandering in a nearby street at around 9am yesterday morning with a wound to his neck.

It is believed that the pair, along with the woman´s daughter from a previous marriage, were renting the apartment, on Daimiel Street as a holiday home.

They are believed to have been murdered on Tuesday night, with the bodies being discovered by the landlord on Wednesday morning.

The owner went to the apartment to collect the keys from the family who were due to move out that same day. When he could get no answer to phone calls he entered the property, making the grisly discovery.

Post mortem examinations are being carried out to determine exact causes of death but reports indicate that the woman was beheaded while the child was strangled with a cable or rope.

The property is still cordoned off as authorities try to gather evidence and clarify exactly what happened at the scene.

The suspect is set to appear in court tomorrow morning.