French family murders in South Africa prompt arrests in Luxembourg

Katia Nguyen, a 43‑year‑old French restaurateur, her partner Mathieu Hadjaz, 49, and Nguyen's mother Sylvie Ganon, 68, were found dead in Pretoria on 11 July after arriving in South Africa from Paris the previous day. Autopsies showed they died from multiple blows with a hammer, indicating a pre‑meditated attack.

Police suspect Nguyen's ex‑husband, aged 44, and a 71‑year‑old man who is the child's paternal grandmother. Both men were arrested in Luxembourg on 22 July, where the couple's 7‑year‑old daughter was located safe and later handed to French authorities. The suspects have been transferred to France and placed in pre‑trial detention on charges including organized‑crime murder and kidnapping of a minor.