Man Butchers 15-Month-Old Nephew in Jeddah Supermarket
Samir Al-Saadi, Arab News -
JEDDAH, 3 March 2008 - Early morning shoppers at a supermarket in Jeddah
were left reeling yesterday, with some falling unconscious, after a
well-built Syrian man clinched a knife and decapitated his 15-month-old
nephew in front of his mother in the store's fruit and vegetable section.
In a brutal murder that has shocked the city, the 25-year-old man beheaded
the boy, who was out shopping with his mother - in full glare of shoppers
and staff at Al-Marhaba supermarket on Sari Street around 9.30 a.m. The
man,
who is the boy's maternal uncle, apparently killed the boy following a
dispute with his sister and brother-in-law.
Eyewitnesses said that the man picked up a knife from inside the store and
severed the boy's head. The mother and a shopper standing close by
fainted,
while several other stood in shock and disbelief over what had happened.
A police officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity, told Arab News,
"The
murderer was in a dispute with the boy's mother and her husband. He
chopped
off the boy's head in front of the mother to get back at her." He added
that
the mother has been left traumatized and is in hospital. The boy's father
was at work at the time of the incident.
Following the murder, police sealed off the supermarket while forensic
experts gathered evidence. Ambulances were also called to the scene. The
supermarket reopened for business at around 1.15 p.m. "It happened so
quickly. Before people could intervene, the man had cut more than half way
through the child's neck," said Abu Muhammad, a grandfather in his
mid-60s.
A Saudi till attendant at a nearby cafe said, "One of my colleagues went
to
see what was going on and returned shivering. He saw the kid's body and so
we gave him the day off. He was in a bad state."
An eyewitness, who lives in the neighborhood, said that the victim's
family
lived close by and frequented the supermarket. "I've seen the murderer
carrying the same child and playing with him on a number of occasions," he
added.
"No one could bear the gruesome sight of the boy's decapitated body lying
on
the floor," said Muneer, a Turkish car mechanic, who works at a garage
close
by. "How could someone do such a thing? I just can't understand it... I
still can't believe it," he said, shaking his head.
When the store reopened, employees were still in a state of shock. A
guard,
standing at the entrance, stood frozen and oblivious to the rush of
shoppers. Pain and anguish were writ large on his face.
P.S. There have already been 4 beheadings in Britain!
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