Olympic runner dies days after being ‘set on fire’ by boyfriend with father warning suscpect 'might flee'

A Ugandan runner who participated in the Paris Olympics has died after being set on fire by her boyfriend.

Rebecca Cheptegei, 33, passed away Thursday in a Kenyan hospital four days after the attack. Her boyfriend, Dickson Ndiema, doused her with gasoline and set her ablaze during an argument, CBS News reported.

The runner had recently placed 44th in the women’s marathon at the Paris Olympics .

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Ugandan Olympic Committee President Donald Rukare said in a social media post Thursday: "May her gentle soul rest in peace and we strongly condemn violence against women.

"This was a cowardly and senseless act that has led to the loss of a great athlete. Her legacy will continue to endure."

Kenya has high rates of violence against women, with an estimate of four in 10 dating or married Kenyan women have experienced physical or sexual violence perpetrated by a current or past partner, AP reported.

Kenya’s Sports Minister Kipchumba Murkomen called for justice for Cheptegei, saying the government should be doing more to prevent this violence.

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“This tragedy is a stark reminder that we must do more to combat gender-based violence in our society, which in recent years has reared its ugly head in elite sporting circles,” he said.

Her boyfriend Ndiema also suffered burns and is being treated in the same hospital. Doctors said he was “improving and stable."

Cheptegei’s father says he hopes to get justice for his daughter.

He told journalists: “As it is now, (...) I am yet to see what the security officials are doing. He is still free and might even flee.”

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