Dubai: Grandmother held for strangling 8-year-old autistic girl, says she wanted to help her son, daughter-in-law

In a shocking incident, an eight-year-old autistic child was strangled to death by her grandmother in Dubai, police said. The incident is being investigated by the Dubai Public Prosecution. 

Police said the grandmother strangled the child to death using the clothes after she helped her change, reported Khaleej Times. Her lifeless body was found by her father, who was the imam of a local mosque.

The father told the police he was out of the house when the incident happened. When returned, he found his daughter lifeless. Though he immediately sought medical help, the paramedics confirmed she had died. They also alerted him about the strangulation mark on her neck.

He informed the police that he suspected his mother as they argued about taking care of the child before he left for work. The woman was in Dubai on a visit visa. The initial probe also revealed that the grandmother was the last person who had seen the girl alive. She has not been identified by the Dubai Police. 

The man said he had planned to take the girl to India for treatment when this occurred. 

On interrogation, the grandmother admitted to the crime and told police that she killed her granddaughter as she was tired of her illness. She also wanted to relieve her son and daughter-in-law from the burden of care.

The woman was arrested and referred to the Public Prosecution for further legal proceedings. A trial will be held soon.

Middle East