Police had initially said Zofija Kaczan was recovering well after the ordeal

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A 100-year-old woman who had her neck broken in a street robbery in Derby has died.

Zofija Kaczan was on her way to church when she was attacked from behind and pushed to the floor in the Normanton area at about 8.45am on 28 May.

She was left with multiple injuries, including a broken neck, a fractured cheekbone and bruising to her face. Her handbag was found dumped near the scene of the attack.

Police had said Kaczan was recovering relatively well,but she died early on Wednesday.

A 39-year-old man who was arrested on suspicion of robbery was released under investigation on Tuesday.

Facebook Twitter Pinterest CCTV grab of Man approaching beige Seat Leon in the Normanton area of Derby. Photograph: Derbyshire constabulary/PA

Derbyshire police said they were keen to hear from anyone who saw a beige Seat Leon with the registration SL02 KVZ close to where the incident took place. The car was found abandoned two days later, on Wednesday 30 May, in a car park in nearby Stockbrook.

DCI Darren De’ath, leading the investigation, said: “This crime is absolutely horrific. Mrs Kaczan was a well-loved member of the community and that she was targeted in this way is disgusting.

“There are people in Derby who know the person responsible for this crime and I would urge them to come forward with any information that can help bring those responsible to justice.”



He added: “We have a number of leads that we are pursuing and a postmortem will take place to determine a cause of death.”