Overview
- The furnished apartment in central Béthune contained the body of an unidentified woman who had multiple stab wounds and was discovered by the lodging owner after an acquaintance raised concerns.
- The Béthune public prosecutor has opened an inquiry for homicide and placed the case with the Pas-de-Calais interdépartemental judicial police to carry out the investigation.
- Authorities say there have been no arrests so far and investigators are pursuing forensic leads to identify the victim and establish the exact cause of death.
- Local reporting states the lodging is suspected of having been used for prostitution and that two violent incidents were reported there in 2024 and 2025; the prosecutor says those claims are under verification.
- Officials plan an autopsy and forensic analysis in the coming days, work that police say could produce an identification and potential investigative leads for charges or wider inquiries.