The friends and family of an au pair whose body was found burned in a garden marched in her memory today.
Sophie Lionnet, 21, a nanny from Troyes, France, was found so badly burned in Southfields, London, that police could not establish her age or even gender at the scene.
She was found in the back garden of the £900,000 home of Sabrina Kouider, 34, and Ouissem Medouin, 40, who allegedly killed her.
Melanie Lionnet, cousin of au-pair Sophie Lionnet, was spotted crying as well-wishers gathered to lay tributes in London
Friends and family laid floral tributes and expressed their shock at the death of Sophie, who was found dead in a back garden
The gruesome nature of the death provoked a strong reaction from French au pairs working in Britain
Today well-wishers laid tributes after marching through the capital in her memory calling for justice.
Her cousin Melanie Lionnet was spotted crying as flowers were placed by the roadside.
In September the accused appeared at the Old Bailey via video link from prison, where Ms Kouider wept and said in French: ‘Tell them I have killed nobody, please tell them, I beg you, please tell them I didn’t do anything.’
Well-wishers leave floral tributes in memory of slain Sophie Lionnet outside a residential property in Wimbledon
Sophie’s employer, who has been charged with her murder, reportedly paid her just £50 a month
Prosecutor Bill Emlyn Jones said their murder trial could begin on March 19 2018 and a hearing was scheduled for December 12.
Prosecutors believe Medouni and Kouider are a couple, but say the precise nature of their relationship is not clear.
The body was discovered by an eight-year-old boy after parents bringing their children home from school noticed a foul smell
Ms Kouider lived in a £900,000 home in the affluent suburb after having a son with Boyzone founder Mark Walton
Sophie moved to the UK last year to improve her English and was reportedly paid £50 a month by Ms Kouider, who had a son with Boyzone founder and Pop Idol judge Mark Walton.
Her body was found last month after parents noticed ‘foul-smelling smoke’ emanating from the home in the affluent suburb as they took their children home from school.
The gruesome nature of the death and allegations of low pay have sparked an emotional reaction from French people and au pairs
Melanie Lionnet joined friends of Sophie after the 21-year-old moved to the UK to improve her English
But it was one curious eight-year-old boy who raised the alarm after scaling the apartment’s back yard gate and saw a huge bonfire with a man throwing what he thought were ‘sticks’ on the flames.
Both suspects were arrested at the scene.
A huge bonfire in the back garden drew attention to Sophie’s body as a boy saw a man throwing what he thought were sticks onto flames
The death has sparked a conversation about the treatment of nannies and au pairs who work in the capital
Lionnet, who moved to the UK to learn English, is thought to have been living at the property with Ms Kouider for 14 months.
Ms Kouider and Walton are separated; he now lives and works in both Los Angeles and Vietnam.
The gruesome nature of the death provoked a strong reaction from au pairs working in Britain
Friends and family gathered around floral tributes as part of a march through London in memory of Sophie Lionnet
Locals said that Lionnet had to work long hours to care for the two children, while Quider, who claims to work as a stylist, make-up artist, fashion designer and songwriter, had been enjoying a busy social life.
On social media, the French-Algerian mother posed for glamorous pictures on nights out at various restaurants.
And although she ‘had a lot of money,’ neighbors said, Ms Kouider paid her nanny just £50 a month.
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