A murder investigation is underway in County Galway after a 31-year-old mother of two was found dead near an accommodation center in the town of Clifden. The victim has been identified as Masuma Sohrabi, an Iranian asylum seeker who had been living in Ireland since late 2024.
According to Irish authorities, Sohrabi’s body was discovered Thursday morning near Waterloo Bridge, close to the Waterloo House IPAS Centre, where she had been staying. Gardaí — Ireland’s national police service — immediately launched a murder investigation after determining the circumstances surrounding her death were suspicious and violent.
Reports indicate Sohrabi left the accommodation center around 8 p.m. the previous evening and never returned. Her body was later found near the Owenglin River several hours afterward. Investigators believe she suffered an extremely violent attack before her body ended up near the river area. While some early social media reports claimed she had been stabbed and thrown into the river, authorities have not officially confirmed the exact sequence of events or released full post-mortem findings.
Police quickly identified and arrested a man in his 30s who was reportedly known to the victim. Sources familiar with the investigation told Irish media that Sohrabi had previously reported concerns about the suspect to Gardaí and feared for her safety before her death. The suspect, who previously lived in Galway but later moved to neighboring County Mayo, was taken into custody and later transported for medical treatment. Authorities said they are not currently searching for any additional suspects and are following what they described as a “definite line of enquiry.”
Investigators from the Garda Technical Bureau sealed off the scene while forensic teams searched the surrounding area, including sections of the river, for possible evidence connected to the killing. The Office of the State Pathologist and the Coroner were also notified, with a formal autopsy expected to determine the exact cause of death and confirm the extent of Sohrabi’s injuries.
The case has deeply shaken the local community in Clifden, where Sohrabi had reportedly been working locally while raising her two children, who attend school in the area. School officials and community members expressed shock and grief following news of her death. Scoil Mhuire principal Dara McAleer released a statement offering condolences to the family and confirming that psychological support services were being provided for students affected by the tragedy.
Friends and neighbors reportedly described Sohrabi as a kind and hardworking mother who had been trying to build a safer life for her family after arriving in Ireland from Iran in October 2024. The investigation remains active as Gardaí continue gathering forensic evidence and reconstructing the victim’s final movements before her death.
