Woman Who Worked with Refugees Is Found Stabbed to Death. Moments Later, Her House Exploded

A British woman who helped migrant women escape domestic violence was killed in a “domestic-related” incident early Tuesday morning, according to police.

Annabel Rook was found dead in her London home on Tuesday, which exploded from an apparent gas leak, according to the London Metropolitan Police. Authorities said in a statement that Rook, 46, was stabbed to death before the house explosion and that a 44-year-old man was arrested as the primary suspect in the murder.

“This is an extremely tragic incident and our thoughts are with the victim’s family at this very difficult time,” London Detective Chief Superintendent Brittany Clarke said in a statement.

Police said its officers responded to the scene after receiving calls about a house explosion shortly before 5 a.m. local time. A person was “trapped inside” the residence at the time of the explosion, authorities said.

“The man arrested was taken to hospital with slash wounds where he currently remains,” the London police statement added, noting that investigators aren’t looking at any other suspects at the moment. The 44-year-old suspect is expected to fully recover, while police noted that two young children were also found at the scene.

After police identified Rook, English news outlets BBC, The Guardian, and Sky News all reported that the London resident was a known charity worker who started her own organization aimed at helping migrant women.

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BBC reported that Rook co-founded the Mama Suze CIC charity, which provides support for refugee and migrant women, “some who have fled domestic violence, with art and drama activities.”

The Guardian described Rook as a “respected charity worker” who was considered a pioneer in the local aid community for the group she started after working for 16 years at Pan Intercultural Arts, another refugee-focused organization. “It was a massive loss for us, a massive shock when we heard what had happened,” John Martin, the artistic director of the organization told the newspaper.

“Annabel’s energy brought a lot to the women and gave them new hope,” he added. “This was her speciality, I think – a sort of a boundless optimism, a boundless self-confidence, which she transferred on to other people.”

If you are experiencing domestic violence, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233, or go to thehotline.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.