JEDDAH, 25 March 2008 — The Syrian mother who was arrested on Sunday for allegedly killing her three-year-old daughter, Lujain, has been sent to a local psychiatric hospital, sources and relatives told Arab News yesterday.
The incident took place at an apartment close to Al-Nazawi supermarket on Al-Imam Abdul Aziz Street in the city’s Al-Faisaliah district.
The mother of two was taken into custody for questioning after the incident.
Sources said that the accused had psychiatric problems. They also confirmed that she might be referred to the specialized psychiatric hospital in Taif soon.
However, one source gave the story a new spin. He said that the accused is claiming that her daughter died as a result of falling into a bathtub full of water, injuring her head and drowning.
Speaking about the incident, Mohammed Haneef, the watchman of the building where the crime took place, said he saw Lujain’s father Abdul Rahman coming down the staircase with his other baby in his arms on Sunday afternoon.
“Abdul Rahman asked me to call the police,” Haneef recalled. “I immediately informed the police which came and took the dead body and the mother into its custody.”
Haneef said that the mother looked distraught after the incident, perhaps due to the shock she suffered. He added that the Syrian couple’s flat has been locked since the incident.
“But today, their relatives came to collect Abdul Rahman’s clothes and the feeding bottle of the other child,” said Haneef. “I asked about the family and they said that the mother has been sent to a hospital.”
Meanwhile, investigators are probing many possibilities that could have led to the death of the child. However, police sources said, prima facie, it appears that the baby had been murdered. However, they are still studying further evidence before reaching any conclusion.
The case has been transferred from the Jeddah Police Station North to the Investigation and Prosecution Board for a thorough and conclusive investigation.
The incident has shocked everybody, since this is the second incident of its kind in Jeddah.
On March 2, a 25-year-old Syrian man decapitated his 15-month-old nephew in full view of shoppers and staff at Al-Marhaba supermarket on Sari Street.
The man, who was the victim’s maternal uncle, apparently killed the boy following a custody battle between his sister and her estranged husband.
