Appeal for donations launched for the repatriation of the remains of Brazilian Bruna Fonseca after his violent death in Cork

FRIENDS of a woman who was allegedly found beaten and strangled to death in a Cork flat on New Year’s Day have launched an appeal to collect €30,000 to have her body returned to her home country of Brazil.

he GoFundMe appeal was launched by friends and family of the late Bruna Fonseca to ensure the 28-year-old college graduate’s body can be flown back to her South American home for requiem mass and burial.

Maria Luiza Fonseca launched the call with the goal of collecting 30,000 euros.

“The purpose of the fundraiser is to send Bruna Fonseca’s body back to Brazil,” she explained in the appeal statement.

Over 100 donations were received within the first hour of the call.

The flood of donations gives hope that all the funds needed will be raised within 24 to 48 hours.

Ms Fonseca, who was from Formiga in Brazil, traveled to Ireland for work last year.

She was employed by BidVest-Noonan contract cleaners.

She had a university degree in Brazil and worked as a librarian for a while before deciding to move to Ireland last September.

Her work in Cork included duties at Mercy University Hospital (MUH), which is less than 100 meters from where her body was found at 6:30am on New Year’s Day.

Gardaí and paramedics arrived at the Liberty Street flat at 6.30am on New Year’s Day, but efforts to revive the young woman failed and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

On Sunday afternoon at Cork University Hospital (CUH), Assistant State Pathologist Dr. Margaret Bolster performed an autopsy.

Gardaí withheld the autopsy results for operational reasons.

However, they confirmed that Ms. Fonseca met a violent death.

Her body was found in an upper floor flat on Liberty Street in Cork city center just hours after she went out with friends to celebrate New Year’s Eve.

The apartment in question is just 100 meters from Bridewell Garda train station and around the corner from the Cork Courthouse on Washington Street.

Ms Fonseca’s body was found on a bed in an upstairs bedroom of the apartment, which is above Picasso’s hair salon.

Gardaí have appointed a family liaison officer to support her family in Brazil.

It is understood her family are hoping to travel to Ireland to oversee arrangements for the repatriation of their daughter’s remains to Brazil.

The Garda inquiry includes an analysis of hours of CCTV footage of buildings around Cork city centre, door-to-door inquiries and extensive forensic testing at the Liberty Street flat where Ms Fonseca’s body was discovered.

Social media posts will also play a crucial role in the Garda investigation to follow Ms Fonseca’s last known movements.

In a tribute, both MUH and Bidvest Noonan praised Ms Fonseca as a hard worker – and said they were “sad and shocked” by her death.

“Although she only worked for the company at the hospital for a short time, she was considered a hard and diligent worker and a valued colleague. We extend our deepest condolences to her friends in Cork and to her family and friends in Brazil. May you rest in peace,” they said.

Ms Fonseca’s former partner Miller Pacheco, 29, was charged with her murder before a special session of Cork District Court on Monday.

Pacheco – who had an address on Liberty Street in Cork – was remanded in custody to appear again at Cork District Court via video link on January 9.

He did not speak during the brief court hearing.