An elderly nun was found murdered in a church after being gang raped by a group of thugs, police in South Africa said.

 86-year-old Gertrud Tiefenbacher was found with her hands tied and a towel on her face.

Her body was found by other nuns at the Sacred Heart Missionary in Ixopo. Investigators believe that the woman was strangled, but they are not sure how many men raped her.

The thugs also made off with the woman’s cash. Tiefenbacher had lived in the church for 60 years after moving to the country from Austria.

There was no sign of forced entry into the room. The attack at the church is the first to be reported since it opened 90 years ago.

The church is a home for young women who are considering becoming nuns. So far, no arrests have been made.