Sister Gertrud Tiefenbacher ( not pictured ) was found in her bedroom , with a towel on her face . An 86-year-old nun was reportedly gang-raped before being murdered in her bedroom at a South African missionary . Gertrud Tiefenbacher 's hands had been tied with a typewriter cord and a towel placed over a face , say local police . Her body was found by other nuns at the Sacred Heart Missionary in Ixopo , a small town 85 miles south-west of Durban . Police in KwaZulu-Natal are waiting for the results of forensic tests to confirm that Sister Gertrud was sexually assaulted . They say she was suffocated but they are unsure how many men attacked her . A small sum of money - thought to be in euros - had been stolen from her room . The victim 's friend Betty Firmstone , 85 , told South Africa's Daily News : ' I met Sister in 1952 when I started teaching at a school attached to the mission . We worked very closely together . She loved her work with children . 'This really was an act of savagery against a gentle , caring soul . ' Sister Gertrud had lived at the missionary for 60 years after moving to South Africa from her native Austria . Police spokesman Major Thulani Zwane said there were no signs of forced entry into the room - and the number of intruders was 'unclear ' . 'It is alleged that the victim was at her residence when she was approached by a suspect who allegedly tied her hands with a typewriter cord , ' he added . 'She was also covered with a towel over her face , causing the victim to suffocate . Rape is also suspected in this matter . 'We are following all leads . We are also appealing to the community to come forward with any information . ' Nuns at the mission where the murdered sister lived have been serving the local community since 1923 . The attack at the weekend is the first to be reported at the mission , which opened in 1923 for nuns wanting to serve the local community . It is also a home for young women who are considering becoming nuns . Sister Gerald , who lives at the mission , said Sister Gertrud had dedicated her life to helping impoverished children and adolescents . Despite her advanced age , she was working for the mission 's educational outreach programme at the time of her murder . 'She had a very kind heart and was loved by everyone , ' said Sister Gerald .
Sister Gertrud ##e had been bound with a tracking device . Her body was discovered by other investigators at her mission in Durban . investigators say octogenarian had been robbed of a small amount of money .