Family asks police to investigate model's death
PARIS (AP) -March 7, 2008 The body of the Guinean-born former model for Yves Saint Laurent
was found in the Seine River last week.
Her family filed a legal complaint with an investigating judge
saying they suspect her death was a homicide, the officials said.
They spoke on condition of anonymity because the investigation is
ongoing.
French police initially said an autopsy showed no signs of foul
play, pointing to the possibility that the could have fallen
accidentally into the river.
The 47-year-old model, known simply as Katoucha, had been
missing since January. She lived in a houseboat near Paris'
Alexandre III bridge, and her handbag was later found on the boat.
Katoucha was one of the first African women to attain
international stardom as a model and was a vocal opponent of female
genital mutilation.
The legal filing came the same day Belgian police announced
that, Waris Dirie, another former model who has campaigned against
genital mutilation had gone missing.
After quitting the runway, Katoucha turned to speaking out
actively against female circumcision, describing her own experience
at age 9 in a book, "Katoucha, In My Flesh," which was published
last year.