Mother who tried to kill sons breaks down in Dubai court

A housewife, who allegedly tried to smother her two kids - aged 4 and 2 - with a pillow, broke down in tears upon seeing one of her children at a Dubai court on Thursday.
According to the public prosecution documents, the 24-year-old Bangladeshi mother tried to end her life by slitting her left wrist with a knife after realising what she did to her children on April 21, last year.
She faced two counts of attempted murder and an attempted suicide charge. She tearfully hugged her four-year-old boy at the Court of First Instance.
In the meantime, the court ordered to evaluate her mental condition again by a specialist committee of the psychiatric section of a hospital. Her husband cited mental illness history within her family.
The incident was reported to Al Muraqqabat police station.
The woman's brother-in-law said he got a frantic phone call from his brother. "He wanted me to go to his place in Al Mamzar. I saw later that his two sons lying in bed; his four-year-old son was barely able to move while the younger one was motionless," the 30-year-old Bangladeshi driver said.
"I went home after work. I used my own key when none answered the door. In the bedroom, I saw my wife lying down injured on the floor. Her hand was bleeding," the woman's 39-year-old Bangladeshi husband, a PRO, said.
A police lieutenant told the prosecutor that they were informed about the incident by a hospital. "We went to the hospital and found the elder son in a stable condition but the youngest son was very critical. The children's uncle recounted he saw his brother crying and unable to talk at the sight of his wife and children."
According to a medical report, the two-year-old boy reached hospital in a critical condition. "He suffered total heart and lung function failure. His heart beat again after long and relentless attempts to resuscitate him but his brain got entirely damaged," the report said. The other son, who was left with neck bruises only, recovered from the assault.
A psychiatric examination of the mother ruled out she suffered any mental illness and that she was aware of her actions and could be held responsible therefor.
The trial will continue on August 6.
mary@khaleejtimes.com

• Dubai

Marie Nammour

mary@khaleejtimes.com