A 29-year-old woman confessed to killing her one-year-old daughter at Vilavoorkal in Thiruvananthapuram on Thursday, September 10. The woman, who consumed medicines in a suspected suicide attempt, is in observation at the Government Medical College under police custody.
As per the first information report, the woman, Christy Thomas, made grievous injuries to her daughter Evana alias Anna using a knife. The incident happened between 3.30 and 4.30 pm in their bedroom. When relatives learnt about the incident, they rushed the child to a nearby primary health centre and later to SAT Hospital. However, Evana was declared dead by the evening. The knife used for the murder was recovered from the bedroom.
Christy has been charged under section 103 (1) (murder) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police said that Christy confessed to the crime but did not give any reason for murdering her lone child.
The incident happened on the fourth wedding anniversary of Christy and her husband, Abhijith. As per reports, the couple had been facing marital discord for a while. Police have not recorded Christy’s arrest as she is under medical observation following her suicide attempt.
Evana’s body will be handed over to relatives after a post-mortem examination on Friday. Christy will be produced in court after completion of her observation period.
‘Psychiatric evaluation needed’
While the police said there was no clarity on whether Christy was experiencing any mental health issues, mental health experts said a psychiatric evaluation was necessary in cases like this.
“Mental health assessments should normally be conducted during the perinatal period to identify conditions such as postpartum blues, depression or psychosis. The comments under news reports of this case reflect the stigma and lack of awareness surrounding such issues in society. This is also reflected in our criminal justice system. The police often do not mention whether an accused person was experiencing mental health issues because of the perception that a diagnosis could result in the accused being released. That should not be the case. If an accused person has a mental health condition, they have the right to receive care and treatment under the Mental Healthcare Act, 2017,” said Dr Mohan Roy, professor, department of psychiatry, Government Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram.
He said a psychiatric evaluation could help the state understand and address the factors that lead to such cases. “It is highly unusual for a mother to kill her child. Therefore, it is extremely important to understand why it happened. This could help the state develop a proper system to proactively address the underlying issues and prevent similar cases,” he added.
Dr Mohan said there should be a proper mechanism to discuss perinatal mental health issues with women, their partners and relatives during antenatal examinations.
If you are aware of anyone facing mental health issues or feeling suicidal, please provide help. Here are some helpline numbers of suicide-prevention organisations that can offer emotional support to individuals and families.
Tamil Nadu
State health department's suicide helpline: 104
Sneha Suicide Prevention Centre - 044-24640050 (listed as the sole suicide prevention helpline in Tamil Nadu)
Andhra Pradesh
Life Suicide Prevention: 78930 78930
Roshni: 9166202000, 9127848584
Karnataka
Sahai (24-hour): 080 65000111, 080 65000222
Kerala
Maithri: 0484 2540530
Chaithram: 0484 2361161
Both are 24-hour helpline numbers.
Telangana
State government's suicide prevention (tollfree): 104
Roshni: 040 66202000, 6620200
SEVA: 09441778290, 040 27504682 (between 9 am and 7 pm
Aasara offers support to individuals and families during an emotional crisis, for those dealing with mental health issues and suicidal ideation, and to those undergoing trauma after the suicide of a loved one.
24x7 Helpline: 9820466726
Click here for working helplines across India.