A 31-year-old Iranian mother of two has been found dead with her throat cut outside a hotel in Clifden, County Galway. The woman, named locally as Masuma Sohrabi, also known as Atijafari, was reported missing on Wednesday before her body was discovered on Thursday morning near an International Protection Accommodation Service centre.
Gardaí were alerted to the scene by staff at the accommodation. A man in his 30s has been arrested and is receiving medical treatment. Both are understood to be foreign nationals. Police have stated they are not looking for any other person in connection with the incident and are following a definite line of inquiry.
Ms Sohrabi arrived in Ireland from Tehran in October 2024, fleeing the Iranian regime in search of a better life. She lived in the Clifden area with her two children, a five-year-old girl and a nine-year-old boy, both of whom attended a local school. She worked at a hotel in the town.
PK Joyce, who runs the Waterloo House accommodation where she lived, paid tribute to her, describing her as a lovely lady and a great mother. 'She had very little English when she arrived but she strived to learn and a cúpla focal as Gaeilge as well,' he said. 'She was loved by us all and had a big impact on all our lives.'
A post-mortem examination will be carried out, and Gardaí have said the results will assist in determining the course of the investigation. Her body is expected to be removed from the scene in due course.
