“Contrary to what had been published in Arab and Saudi press, the girl was not raped,” the report said.

According to the report, the girl had fractures in her spinal cord and left ankle.

The police continued their investigations and were interrogating the two Yemenis accused of being behind her death. Police spokesman Maj. Abdul Mohsen Al-Maiman said the court would authenticate their confessions on Saturday. He said the two Yemenis were staying illegally in the Kingdom.

Meanwhile, the mysterious death of the Algerian girl has left a bitter taste in the mouths of people living in Makkah. Many abhorred the thought that such an act could be committed in the holy place.

Though the Makkawis have been resigned to the fact that many crimes are committed during peak seasons like Umrah in Ramadan and the Haj, it was mostly restricted to pickpockets organizing themselves to steal and pilfer.

But the girl’s death and recent kidnappings have left the residents of the holy city in shock.

Sixty-year-old Abdullah Jabber Nuwareah, a resident in Makkah for the past 40 years, said, “Many of us are shocked by this death. We condemn such heinous act, be it anywhere, but we are shocked that this happened in the holy city near Haram. It is just horrible.”

What made this crime gruesome to some was the fact that it occurred before pilgrims who were at the holy place seeking solace and peace while fulfilling their cherished dreams of performing Umrah.

“That accused have been caught is a good sign that the police is vigilant, but these individuals should be convicted, and the natural consequence I would like to see is their punishment for disturbing the peace and serenity of this holy city. This case has to be thoroughly investigated and the truth found,” Jabber said.

“This is an absolutely repulsive act, and by no means should it reflect on the overall safety of the city, which is in fact safe. I ask Allah to bring calm to her relatives,” said Awad Ahmed, a 65-year-old resident of Makkah.

Others calling for a quick resolution of the issue too echoed the sentiments of these two “old-timers” of Makkah, with the majority quick to point out that the security personnel would definitely be hard-pressed to maintain a crime-free area amid the rush. But they also called on the security personnel and the people themselves to be more vigilant in order to stem such incidents.