Ahmed Kamel – Egypt Daily News
Prosecutors in Alexandria are continuing investigations into one of the most shocking family murder cases in recent years, after new details emerged about the murder of a mother and her five children inside their apartment in the district of Karmouz.
According to investigators, the crime was carried out by the family’s eldest son, allegedly acting under the direction and encouragement of his mother, in a case that has drawn widespread public attention due to its disturbing circumstances.
A court has ordered the suspect held in custody for 15 days pending further investigation, as prosecutors continue to gather evidence, question witnesses, and review forensic reports linked to what has become known locally as the “Karmouz massacre.”
Attempted suicide leads to grim discovery
The case first came to light after police received a report that a young man was attempting to jump from the 13th floor of a residential building. He was rescued at the last moment, but initial questioning quickly led authorities to a far more disturbing discovery.
Security forces and prosecutors later entered the family’s apartment on the sixth floor, where they found six bodies a woman in her 40s and five of her children, aged between 8 and 17, in what officials described as a deeply tragic scene.
Preliminary forensic examinations indicated multiple sharp-force injuries on the victims, particularly to the neck and hands. Signs suggested the bodies had been left for some time before being discovered. Investigators also recovered blood-stained razor blades from the apartment, which have been seized for forensic analysis.
Family crisis and psychological breakdown
According to the suspect’s statements to prosecutors, the events began on the night of March 27, when the mother received a phone call from the children’s father informing her of their divorce and his decision to marry another woman, while also refusing to continue financial support for the family.
This reportedly coincided with the mother learning she was suffering from cancer, triggering a severe psychological collapse that investigators believe played a central role in the events that followed.
A fatal decision
The suspect told prosecutors that his mother decided to end the lives of the entire family, claiming she did not want her children to face what she believed would be a harsh and uncertain future alone.
Investigators say she asked him to obtain sharp tools, which were later used to inflict injuries on the children. Some of the victims reportedly remained alive for hours as a result of the wounds.
Escalation of violence inside the home
According to testimony, the situation escalated the following morning when one of the younger children died from her injuries. Rather than abandoning the plan, the mother allegedly insisted on continuing.
The suspect claimed that two of his siblings were instructed to participate in the killings, including suffocating another child with a pillow while restraining him. Similar methods were reportedly used against another sibling.
In one instance, a child resisted, prompting the mother to intervene directly. Prosecutors say she attempted to kill the child using a bladed weapon before ultimately succeeding by other means.
Final moments and failed suicide attempt
After the deaths of the children, only the suspect and his mother remained. According to his statement, she then asked him to kill her in the same manner and to take his own life afterward.
He told investigators he suffocated her before attempting to jump from the building, but was stopped by residents who intervened and alerted authorities.
Ongoing investigation
The bodies have been transferred to the morgue under the supervision of prosecutors, while forensic examinations continue. Authorities are working to establish a complete timeline of events and verify all aspects of the suspect’s account.
The case has sparked widespread reaction in Egypt, raising questions about mental health, family breakdown, and the warning signs that may precede such extreme acts of violence.
