18 May 2016

Collective to monitor streets after sex worker's death

12:39 pm on 18 May 2016

The Prostitutes Collective will increase its presence in Christchurch tonight after the body of a sex worker was found at the weekend.

Renee Duckmanton

Renee Duckmanton Photo: Facebook

Renee Duckmanton, who was 22, was found on Main Rakaia Road on Sunday night.

Detective Inspector Darryl Sweeney said it was not yet known if Ms Duckmanton's work is connected to her death.

Police said a postmortem completed yesterday revealed that Ms Duckmanton suffered burns and her death is being treated as a homicide.

Prostitutes Collective spokeswoman Anna Reed said she was shocked to hear of the young woman's death. She said the collective would go out to talk to and support other workers tonight.

"We'll talk to whoever we see and we're also trying to find out, of course, as the police are, who saw her last, when she was last seen and where."

Ms Reed said Ms Duckmanton's death was devastating.

"She was a beautiful young woman ... she had her whole life ahead of her."