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She was so badly burned over all of her body that rescuers said it was initially impossible to tell her sex. Police say the victim, 38, was torched by an African who has lived in Germany for 20 years. It is thought she was attacked by her 41-year-old husband although the pair had separated. Officers say the man, who comes from the same country as the victim, hurled petrol over her as she walked on Wednesday in Kronshagen, near Kiel.

ALAMY LIVE NEWS German police say the victim was so badly burned it was impossible to tell her sex

Eyewitnesses claim to have spotted him with a white petrol cannister. She is thought to have been leaving a clinic in the town when she was set ablaze, and walked down the road screaming for help. Her car remains in the building's car park.

ALAMY Police arrested the suspect and took him in to custody

N24 It is thought she was torched by her 41-year-old husband

A woman called Angela Hauschild went into the clinic to get help, and an emergency physician from the Mare clinic was one of those who rushed to her aid. She said: "It seemed an eternity until the flames were out. Her screams will haunt me for the rest of my days. "I just saw a flame, a man with burning trousers which he tried to out and a woman on fire, in flames, screaming and screaming and screaming.

N24 Police say the motive is still unclear

"Passers-by immediately rushed to help and tried to extinguish the flames on the woman's body. "The flames were almost extinguished, she began to burn again, from head to toe in flames, with a fire extinguisher and blankets they succeeded to finally stop the fire." Other eyewitnesses heard her cry "my children, what will become of my children?" as she was bundled into an ambulance.

Her screams will haunt me for the rest of my days Angela Hauschild

People came out to assist in beating out the flames, as between 10 to 20 people looked on in horror. Photos from the scene show charred clothing, as passersby tried to quell the flames with jackets and blankets. Another person managed to get hold of a fire extinguisher to extinguish the flames, which could still be seen on the pavement.

ALAMY Photos from the scene show charred clothing and a fire extinguisher on the pavement