DUBAI // The maid accused of butchering and burning her sponsor's three children failed to enter a plea in court on Wednesday because she was crying inconsolably.
The 25-year-old Ethiopian is on trial at Dubai Criminal Court for the attempted murder of the three children of her Emirati sponsor. She is also charged with the attempted theft of Dh640, with damaging her sponsor’s property and with attempting suicide.
In addition to her crying, the maid was also unable to enter a plea because the court had failed to organise a translator.
“I want to go home,” was all Y B could say to judges in Arabic.
Prosecutors told the court that, during their investigations, the maid claimed it was an act of revenge for being mistreated.
“I wanted to take revenge on her because she deprived me of food and from leaving the country to return to my home – and to kill the children who always threatened to kill me,” prosecutors quoted her as saying.
They added she planned the crime because her sponsor, L A, a 42-year-old teacher, often accused her of theft and informed the labour office that brought her to the UAE that she had been stealing.
“They told her that she could cancel my visa and send me back home, but she refused and claimed that my passport was lost,” said the maid.
According to records, at 7am of April 11, while the mother was out the country on a two-day trip for medical treatment, Y B, armed with a meat cleaver, a knife and a pot of boiling water, entered the bedroom where the children – girls A A, 15, and R A, 14, and boy K A, 10 – were sleeping.
She allegedly poured the boiling water over A A and, as the girl woke up terrified, struck her repeatedly with the meat cleaver and stabbed her with the knife before moving to the younger sister and the boy, pouring water on them too and stabbing them. The children, bleeding heavily from the face, neck and other parts of their bodies and burned badly, managed to run from the bedroom to the living room, where A A tried to call police from the landline but found that Y B had cut its cable.
Before the maid caught up with them, the children locked themselves in a bathroom and used a mobile phone to call police, prosecutors allege.
The 15-year-old said in her testimony that they screamed as loud as they could to try to attract the attention of anyone nearby.
“We were terrified that she would be able to get us and end our lives,” said A A.
The maid is then said to have went to the mother’s room to take the money and her passport, which was hidden in a drawer.
Emirati policeman A M A, 21, said that he received a report from the operations room at 7.45am and, in less than five minutes, he was there with his colleagues.
“We headed to Al Warqa 2 and stood at the door for a second but heard no sound,” he said. “We knocked but no one opened up so we got permission and broke down the door. When we saw no one in the flat, we were informed by the operations room, that the children had been hiding in the bathroom.”
He said the children were frightened to open the door, but did so when they knew it was police.
“They were bleeding from everywhere and badly burned. They had deep wounds, mainly in the face, neck and chest,” said A M A.
The children were rushed to Rashid Hospital and police said they found the maid sitting on the floor on the flat’s balcony with blood stains on her clothes and the weapons in her hands.
She is then alleged to have tried to slit her own throat before surrendering to police when they raised their guns.
The next hearing is on Sunday.
salamir@thenational.ae
THE SPECS
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Power: 420kW
Torque: 780Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
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Essentials
The flights
Return flights from Dubai to Windhoek, with a combination of Emirates and Air Namibia, cost from US$790 (Dh2,902) via Johannesburg.
The trip
A 10-day self-drive in Namibia staying at a combination of the safari camps mentioned – Okonjima AfriCat, Little Kulala, Desert Rhino/Damaraland, Ongava – costs from $7,000 (Dh25,711) per person, including car hire (Toyota 4x4 or similar), but excluding international flights, with The Luxury Safari Company.
When to go
The cooler winter months, from June to September, are best, especially for game viewing.
2025 Fifa Club World Cup groups
Group A: Palmeiras, Porto, Al Ahly, Inter Miami.
Group B: Paris Saint-Germain, Atletico Madrid, Botafogo, Seattle.
Group C: Bayern Munich, Auckland City, Boca Juniors, Benfica.
Group D: Flamengo, ES Tunis, Chelsea, Leon.
Group E: River Plate, Urawa, Monterrey, Inter Milan.
Group F: Fluminense, Borussia Dortmund, Ulsan, Mamelodi Sundowns.
Group G: Manchester City, Wydad, Al Ain, Juventus.
Group H: Real Madrid, Al Hilal, Pachuca, Salzburg.
Napoleon
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The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
Pupils in Abu Dhabi are learning the importance of being active, eating well and leading a healthy lifestyle now and throughout adulthood, thanks to a newly launched programme 'Healthy Lifestyle'.
As part of the Healthy Lifestyle programme, specially trained coaches from City Football Schools, along with Healthpoint physicians have visited schools throughout Abu Dhabi to give fun and interactive lessons on working out regularly, making the right food choices, getting enough sleep and staying hydrated, just like their favourite footballers.
Organised by Manchester City FC and Healthpoint, Manchester City FC’s regional healthcare partner and part of Mubadala’s healthcare network, the ‘Healthy Lifestyle’ programme will visit 15 schools, meeting around 1,000 youngsters over the next five months.
Designed to give pupils all the information they need to improve their diet and fitness habits at home, at school and as they grow up, coaches from City Football Schools will work alongside teachers to lead the youngsters through a series of fun, creative and educational classes as well as activities, including playing football and other games.
Dr Mai Ahmed Al Jaber, head of public health at Healthpoint, said: “The programme has different aspects - diet, exercise, sleep and mental well-being. By having a focus on each of those and delivering information in a way that children can absorb easily it can help to address childhood obesity."
RESULTS
Lightweight (female)
Sara El Bakkali bt Anisha Kadka
Bantamweight
Mohammed Adil Al Debi bt Moaz Abdelgawad
Welterweight
Amir Boureslan bt Mahmoud Zanouny
Featherweight
Mohammed Al Katheeri bt Abrorbek Madaminbekov
Super featherweight
Ibrahem Bilal bt Emad Arafa
Middleweight
Ahmed Abdolaziz bt Imad Essassi
Bantamweight (female)
Ilham Bourakkadi bt Milena Martinou
Welterweight
Mohamed Mardi bt Noureddine El Agouti
Middleweight
Nabil Ouach bt Ymad Atrous
Welterweight
Nouredine Samir bt Marlon Ribeiro
Super welterweight
Brad Stanton bt Mohamed El Boukhari
The specs: 2018 Mercedes-AMG C63 S Cabriolet
Price, base: Dh429,090
Engine 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8
Transmission Seven-speed automatic
Power 510hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque 700Nm @ 1,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 9.2L / 100km
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
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The specs
Engine: 3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 400hp
Torque: 475Nm
Transmission: 9-speed automatic
Price: From Dh215,900
On sale: Now
A Long Way Home by Peter Carey
Faber & Faber
FINAL RESULT
Sharjah Wanderers 20 Dubai Tigers 25 (After extra-time)
Wanderers
Tries: Gormley, Penalty
cons: Flaherty
Pens: Flaherty 2
Tigers
Tries: O’Donnell, Gibbons, Kelly
Cons: Caldwell 2
Pens: Caldwell, Cross
The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
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The 10 Questions
- Is there a God?
- How did it all begin?
- What is inside a black hole?
- Can we predict the future?
- Is time travel possible?
- Will we survive on Earth?
- Is there other intelligent life in the universe?
- Should we colonise space?
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RESULTS
6.30pm UAE 1000 Guineas Trial Conditions (TB) US$100,000 (Dirt) 1,400m
Winner Final Song, Christophe Soumillon (jockey), Saeed bin Suroor (trainer).
7.05pm Handicap (TB) $135,000 (Turf) 1,000m
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7.40pm Handicap (TB) $175,000 (D) 1,900m
Winner Grand Argentier, Brett Doyle, Doug Watson.
8.15pm Meydan Challenge Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 1,400m
Winner Major Partnership, Patrick Cosgrave, Saeed bin Suroor.
8.50pm Dubai Stakes Group 3 (TB) $200,000 (D) 1,200m
Winner Gladiator King, Mickael Barzalona, Satish Seemar.
9.25pm Dubai Racing Club Classic Listed Handicap (TB) $175,000 (T) 2,410m
Winner Universal Order, Richard Mullen, David Simcock.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre supercharged V8
Power: 712hp at 6,100rpm
Torque: 881Nm at 4,800rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 19.6 l/100km
Price: Dh380,000
On sale: now
