A primary school teacher who refused to let go of her handbag when she was attacked by a thief with a machete while waiting for a bus had her left hand chopped off and her right hand mutilated.
The horrific attack took place in the municipality of Pradera, which is located in the western Colombian department of Valle del Cauca, while she was waiting for a bus to take her to work in nearby Palmira on the morning of Friday, 4th March, at around 5.30am.
The primary school teacher, who has been named as 48-year-old Edith Valencia, resisted the attempted robbery, causing the thief, who was after her bag and other belongings, to attack her with the machete, severing her left hand and nearly cutting off her right hand.
Her brother, who has not been named, told local media: “He struck her with the machete, on her limbs, both on her right hand and on her left hand, that one was the most affected because she has severe injuries.”
The police have reportedly already identified the perpetrator, but despite carrying out raids, they had been unable to locate him at the time of writing. Local media report that his family are believed to be hiding him from the authorities.
Colonel Nelson Parrado, Police Commander in the Valle del Cauca department, said: “The woman was helped by a citizen and is currently under medical observation. It should be noted that the National Police had a special intelligence group, judicial Police and Prosecutor’s Office to locate and prosecute the person responsible.”
The teacher was taken to a local hospital before then being sent on to the Imbanaco clinic in Cali, which is the capital city of the Valle del Cauca department, for more specialist treatment.
Doctors in Cali were able to reattach her left hand and save her right hand thanks to their speedy intervention, according to local media.
Surgeon Eduardo Velasquez said: “She was immediately taken to the operating room. The highly complex surgery lasted approximately nine hours, achieving 100 percent success. She is currently hospitalised in the ICU due to the bleeding that she sustained.”
The teacher’s family has called for the perpetrator to be found and brought to justice.
