Nun murdered

last updated 8 January 2015

Boa Esperanca, Brazil

Two men gunned down a 74-year-old American nun in the Amazon jungle last week, shooting her six times in the head and chest, at close range. The nun, Sister Dorothy Stang, was an influential environmental activist who had complained of death threats from loggers and ranchers trying to clear vast sections of rain forest. Brazilian officials said the killing was a brazen challenge to their authority in the lawless region, where government attempts to restrict logging have faced violent opposition. Human Rights Secretary Nilmario Miranda vowed that the government would regain control by catching the killers and making an example of them. “It is a question of honor for us,” he said.