Man arrested after death of woman, 19, at London student flats
Maher Maaroufe, 22, arrested on suspicion of murder after death of Sabita Thanwani in Clerkenwell.
Police investigating the death of Sabita Thanwani, 19, at a student flat in London over the weekend have arrested a man.
Police were called to an accommodation block in Clerkenwell for students at City, University of London at 5.10am on Saturday after emergency services received reports of an injured woman.
Officers and the London ambulance service attended and found Thanwani suffering from serious injuries. They attempted to revive her, but she was pronounced dead at the scene at Arbour House, Sebastian Street.
Thanwani’s family had been informed and were being supported by specialist officers. A special postmortem examination would be arranged in due course, police said.
Metropolitan police officers detained Maher Maaroufe, 22, on Sunday afternoon.
The force said Maaroufe was arrested on suspicion of murder and assault on police and he remained in police custody.
DCI Linda Bradley said: “I would like to thank everyone for publicising and sharing our appeal to trace Maaroufe.
“Sabita’s family have been updated with this development and continue to be supported by specially trained officers. Our deepest condolences are with them.
“I would ask everyone to respect their privacy at this indescribably devastating time for them as they come to terms with Sabita’s murder.”
“Maaroufe had been in a relationship with Sabita but he was not a student,” Bradley said. “He is a Tunisian national of no fixed address.”
The front of Arbour House, a multi-story block, was taped off and a section of nearby Goswell Road was closed to traffic on Saturday.
Ana, 20, an international student and resident at Arbour House, was in the building when the police arrived.
“It has made me feel really uncomfortable and reminded me that we have to take extra precautions, especially as she was a woman around my age,” she said.
“Seeing the police was scary at the beginning. We heard all the banging, the police raiding rooms to investigate on the fifth floor. I don’t actually know where they found her, but they were coming into our rooms.
“But now it feels a lot safer to have them around while they investigate.”
A spokesperson for Unite Students, which runs Arbour House, said: “As this remains an ongoing police incident, we are unable to comment on their investigation.
“Our priority at this time is the safety and well-being of students at Arbour House. We are working closely with the police and City, University of London.”
A spokesperson for City, University of London said: “As a university, we will do everything we can to support our students and staff and we will continue to fully support the police with their investigation. We are working closely with Unite Students who own and operate Arbour House.”
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