Sara Ege: Life jail for son's murder over Koran studies

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-20596854

A mother who beat her seven-year-old son "like a dog" when he failed to memorise passages of the Koran has been found guilty of his murder.

Sara Ege, 33, beat Yaseen Ege to death at their home in Pontcanna, Cardiff, in July 2010 and set fire to his body.

She was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice at Cardiff Crown Court. Sentence was adjourned.

The boy's father, Yousuf Ege, 38, was acquitted of causing Yaseen's death by failing to protect him.

It was initially thought Yaseen had died in the blaze at the family home but tests later revealed he had died hours earlier.

His mother had pleaded not guilty to his murder and claimed her husband was responsible for Yaseen's death.

She said she feared her husband would kill her and target her family unless she confessed to the murder.

That confession - made to police days after the death of her son - was captured on video and played to the jury during the five week trial.

During the hour-long harrowing footage, university graduate Ege described how the young boy collapsed after she had beaten him while still murmuring extracts of the Koran.

"He was breathing as if he was asleep when I left him," she said.

"He was still murmuring the same thing over and over again. I thought that he was just tired."

When she returned 10 minutes later she found her son shaking and shivering on the floor. He then died.

Within moments she said she decided to burn his body and ran downstairs to get a lighter and a bottle of barbecue gel.

In police interviews she also confessed to beating her son for no reason and that her anger often led to her being out of control.

She and her taxi driver husband had enrolled Yaseen in advanced classes at their local mosque as they wanted him to become Hafiz - an Islamic term for someone who memorises the Koran.

The court heard Ege become more and more frustrated with her son's inability to learn the passages he needed to.

She told officers: "I was getting all this bad stuff in my head, like I couldn't concentrate, I was getting angry too much, I would shout at Yaseen all the time.

"I was getting very wild and I hit Yaseen with a stick on his back like a dog."

The prosecution said that Yaseen suffered significant abdominal injuries that were the cause of his death.

They included fractures which were non-accidental.

"Sara Ege made no attempt to seek the medical attention he so obviously needed," prosecutor Ian Murphy said.

"He clearly suffered terribly. She started the fire to hide what she had done."

However, Ege insisted that both she and Yaseen had been beaten by her husband, adding he had been violent throughout their marriage.

She told the jury that she did not take the boy to the doctor because she feared for her safety and that social services would take her son away.

Her mother Nafees Ahmed also gave evidence to say that Ege was a good mother who looked after him well.

Ege was found guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice by burning Yaseen's body.

Her husband was cleared of causing or allowing the death of a child by failing to protect him.

The jury returned unanimous verdicts after eight hours of deliberation.

As the verdict was read out Ege broke down in the dock, holding her head in her hands and crying.

Judge Mr Justice Wyn Williams told her she faces a term of life imprisonment

Her husband showed no emotion as he walked free from court.

Mr Justice Wyn Williams told the court he would determine a minimum sentence for Ege in the New Year after a medical report had been completed.

Speaking after the verdicts, Deborah Rogers, district crown prosecutor for the Crown Prosecution Service, said the "deeply tragic nature" of the case had been "all too apparent".

"We should not forget that at the heart of the case is the loss of a bright and friendly young boy who had his whole life ahead of him," she added.

"It is therefore right that the circumstances of Yaseen's death were fully examined in a criminal court."

I make no apology for pasting that report in full - I was not aware of Yaseen's unnatural death and the manner of it deserves some remembrance for a life cut cruelly short ..... :sad:

[Livia]

Heartbreaking. Poor little sod.

[AnnieK]

Good grief, the poor mite. Nothing more to say. RIP

[Ammi]

Her mother Nafees Ahmed also gave evidence to say that Ege was a good mother who looked after him well.

Ege was found guilty of murder and perverting the course of justice by burning Yaseen's body

..yes, she looked after him well...

..a shocking story...RIP Yaseen..

[Nedusa]

Where has this Mothers' humanity gone ? that she could wilfully kick her son to death in the name of "Religion", ignoring every natural protective instinct in her body. For a Mother to be so completely brainwashed by what is basically "Hogwash" is so very sad to see.

One day in the future people will look back and shiver when they read about the greatest historical scourge of Mankind , organised Religion in all its forms and guises. They will give thanks that all that unecessary suffering is now thankfully in the past...!!!

Unfortunately this is not going to happen any time soon.

[arista]

Evil

[Livia]

I don't believe she was brainwashed. I believe she is mental.

[Me. I Am Salman]

Obviously crazy

[Marcus.]

poor kid rip

[Nedusa]

I don't believe she was brainwashed. I believe she is mental.

Probably a mixture of the two...

[Livia]

Probably a mixture of the two...

There's no need to turn every thread into an anti-religion rally. Not everyone who beats their child to death is religious. Religion doesn't have the monopoly on cruelty and madness.

[Kizzy]

Seeing as religion played a big part in the reason for this hideous abuse, I would say the comparison is justified.

[Nedusa]

There's no need to turn every thread into an anti-religion rally. Not everyone who beats their child to death is religious. Religion doesn't have the monopoly on cruelty and madness.

No, but religion mixed with madness is a potent brew. Most of the worst crimes in our history whether they be wars or crusades have been fought over religion. Most civil wars which are by far the most bloodiest were fought by two competing religious ideologies ie English Civil War. Religious Zealots in positions of power the world over from the earliest recorded history have carried out barbaric acts in the name of their particular God, you have to look no further than the Spanish Conquistadors in the 15th & 16th Centuries in South America.

Also the whole subject of Witchfinding and the disgraceful treatment of all religious minorities. If you add Religion and Madness (Mental Illness) then the result can indeed be very Bloody and extremely cruel...!!!

[kylie2002]

How is this turning into an anti-religious thread? It all started with a mother deranged by religion, killing her son. Let's keep our eye on the ball - a poor innocent 7-year old boy - YASEEN EGE - was brutally murdered, probably in abject terror and pain, for not doing what his mother expected. Presumably the mother was unstable anyway, but there's a chance Yaseen would still be alive if it were not for his mother's religious mania.

[Kizzy]

A very powerful first post kylie..
I agree.

[Kizzy]

A very powerful first post kylie..
I agree.

[InOne]

How is this turning into an anti-religious thread? It all started with a mother deranged by religion, killing her son. Let's keep our eye on the ball - a poor innocent 7-year old boy - YASEEN EGE - was brutally murdered, probably in abject terror and pain, for not doing what his mother expected. Presumably the mother was unstable anyway, but there's a chance Yaseen would still be alive if it were not for his mother's religious mania.

With the first line you pretty much answered your own question...

[Kizzy]

Here we go...
Of course religion is a factor, it was not the only factor though.
And one persons opinion of religion does not make a rally...
Let's keep things in perspective.

[Jesus.]

*pokes head in thread. Starts typing. Deletes text. Reverses out of thread.

http://images2.fanpop.com/images/photos/7400000/Abe-Simpson-walking-in-and-out-the-simpsons-7414427-320-240.gif

[Nedusa]

How is this turning into an anti-religious thread? It all started with a mother deranged by religion, killing her son. Let's keep our eye on the ball - a poor innocent 7-year old boy - YASEEN EGE - was brutally murdered, probably in abject terror and pain, for not doing what his mother expected. Presumably the mother was unstable anyway, but there's a chance Yaseen would still be alive if it were not for his mother's religious mania.

Good Post, welcome to the wonderful world of TiBB Forums.......

[Jake.]

Horrific. Poor little guy.

[Me. I Am Salman]

:crazy: at some people in this thread
What she did goes against Islam so how can you blame the religion?

[Jesus.]

:crazy: at some people in this thread
What she did goes against Islam so how can you blame the religion?

I think it's because that the very fact she was trying to teach/abuse him into memorising a religious text, seems to point in that direction.

I think it's doubtful this scenario would have played out, if the text she had wanted him to learn was "Three blind mice".

As Steven Weinberg said, "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

[Kizzy]

So true...

[Livia]

I think it's because that the very fact she was trying to teach/abuse him into memorising a religious text, seems to point in that direction.

I think it's doubtful this scenario would have played out, if the text she had wanted him to learn was "Three blind mice".

As Steven Weinberg said, "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

If she wasn't beating him over religious text, then it would have been something else. This is like blaming the evil doings of non-believers - and there are many - on the fact that they don't believe in God. You cannot indict all religion because of one nutter. And as Salman says, this goes against Islamic teaching.

[Me. I Am Salman]

I think it's because that the very fact she was trying to teach/abuse him into memorising a religious text, seems to point in that direction.

I think it's doubtful this scenario would have played out, if the text she had wanted him to learn was "Three blind mice".

As Steven Weinberg said, "With or without religion, you would have good people doing good things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do evil things, that takes religion."

That's her own fault. She's clearly unstable. I'm sure there are cases of parents beating/killing their children for not getting their desired grades. Do you blame education for that?

You're clearly just using this story to push your anti-Islam agenda, like you do with most religion related threads on this forum.

[thesheriff443]

back to basic's!
a mother did this to her own son,
she does not deserve life.

[Jesus.]

If she wasn't beating him over religious text, then it would have been something else. This is like blaming the evil doings of non-believers - and there are many - on the fact that they don't believe in God. You cannot indict all religion because of one nutter. And as Salman says, this goes against Islamic teaching.

I was just giving a reason why people are tying the two together. I wouldn't blame this solely on Islam. Like I mentioned, I don't think this story happens if she is teaching him a nursery rhyme. However, she would almost certainly have been abusive, but I don't think this little boy dies if you take religious text out of this unfortunate news story.

It's just an opinion, and not necessarily a correct one, but the importance of this text to the mother obviously increased her anxiety around it.

There are many issues with with to slam Islam/Abrahamic faiths on, and I don't think this is the main one, but I do sincerely think that if the text was changed, we wouldn't even be aware of this abusive mother.

[Jesus.]

That's her own fault. She's clearly unstable. I'm sure there are cases of parents beating/killing their children for not getting their desired grades. Do you blame education for that?

You're clearly just using this story to push your anti-Islam agenda, like you do with most religion related threads on this forum.

You see it's funny, people always read what they want to into someone else's posts. If you asked "the truth" he/she would tell you that I have an anti-Christian agenda.

I have actually been restrained in my criticism of Islam in this thread, as I don't believe it's the main problem in this story.

[Me. I Am Salman]

:rolleyes: I really don't care

[thesheriff443]

You see it's funny, people always read what they want to into someone else's posts. If you asked "the truth" he/she would tell you that I have an anti-Christian agenda.

I have actually been restrained in my criticism of Islam in this thread, as I don't believe it's the main problem in this story.

as i say.
its not the way i write it
its the way you read it

[Livia]

I was just giving a reason why people are tying the two together. I wouldn't blame this solely on Islam. Like I mentioned, I don't think this story happens if she is teaching him a nursery rhyme. However, she would almost certainly have been abusive, but I don't think this little boy dies if you take religious text out of this unfortunate news story.

It's just an opinion, and not necessarily a correct one, but the importance of this text to the mother obviously increased her anxiety around it.

There are many issues with with to slam Islam/Abrahamic faiths on, and I don't think this is the main one, but I do sincerely think that if the text was changed, we wouldn't even be aware of this abusive mother.

I agree somewhat... I understand of course that people tie religion to this horrific act for obvious reasons. However, it soon becomes a stick with which to beat all religions. For example, the conquistadors have even had a mention in this thread...

[thesheriff443]

religious books are not evil!
but some of the people that read them are.

[Kizzy]

:rolleyes: I really don't care

Then why are you on this thread?
Religion is an issue as it was a contributory factor in the events leading to the boys death fact.
The possibility that the mothers actions would have been the same in any other circumstance is impossible to know.
Why that is in dispute I don't know, by saying the cause of her mental state was in part caused by a fixation on the teaching
of religious text it does not for one minute suggest that every follower of a faith is capable of this crime.....

[Me. I Am Salman]

Did you even read the comment I was replying to? I don't care what the truth thinks of him or how restrained he's being. It has no relevance to the thread.

[Kizzy]

Did you even read the comment I was replying to? I don't care what the truth thinks of him or how restrained he's being. It has no relevance to the thread.

Yes I did, yours was a glib comment,and not really necessary.

[Nedusa]

I agree somewhat... I understand of course that people tie religion to this horrific act for obvious reasons. However, it soon becomes a stick with which to beat all religions. For example, the conquistadors have even had a mention in this thread...

I see the point you are making ie the mother must be already severely mentally deranged to want to beat her son to death and that religion was only the catalyst in this terrible situation. But I still feel the extreme religious indoctrination has been instrumental in altering this woman's natural moral code and has probably hastened her descent into mental illness.

I feel the two are strongly connected as I have stated in my earlier posts extreme religious brainwashing can make relatively normal people commit heinous crimes...

[Omah]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-20920649

A mother who beat her seven-year-old son to death when he failed to memorise passages from the Koran has been jailed for life, for a minimum of 17 years.

The judge told Sara Ege, 33, she subjected Yaseen Ege to prolonged cruelty and a ferocious beating at home in Pontcanna, Cardiff, in July 2010.

She also set fire to his body, and was convicted after a five-week trial.

Ege collapsed as the sentence was read out at Cardiff Crown Court and had to be helped from the dock.

She was also found guilty of perverting the course of justice and given a four-year sentence for that crime.

Her husband Yousuf Ege, a taxi driver, was cleared of allowing the death of a child by failing to protect him.

Sara Ege had pleaded not guilty to murder and claimed her husband was responsible for Yaseen's death.

The judge said she had beaten him for three months leading up to his death, adding: "The cause of the beating was your unreasonable view that he wasn't learning passages quickly enough.

"The violence Yaseen suffered was not confined to the day of his death.

"For three months you beat him often with a wooden pestle and I'm confident these beatings left him in a significant amount of pain.

"This prolonged cruelty culminated on the day of his death in what was a savage attack. You then set fire to his body in an attempt to evade responsibility for what you had done."

The trial heard that Yaseen suffered significant abdominal injuries that were the cause of his death.

They included fractures which were non-accidental. He also had numerous historical injuries.

I only hope that she has a really hard time in jail ..... :mad:

[Suze]

So very sad how that poor child suffered prior to his death :( And at the hands of his own mother, whose job is to nurture and protect her child. So many who want children and can't have them, and someone like that just takes their own childs life :( So heartbreaking :(

[Suze]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-20920649



I only hope that she has a really hard time in jail ..... :mad:

I expect she may well.

[Kizzy]

Not long enough...

[Nedusa]

I believe the Husband was complicit in this crime, he must have condoned his wife's actions on many occasions and therefore did not protect his child. Part of the blame for his sons death must be levelled at the Father. And as such I think he deserved a reasonably lengthy prison sentence although not a life sentence as clearly the mother was the one who administered the fatal blows.

This case is very sad, again we have religion called into question in another family type honour/religious obsession type killing, the Mother probably thought in some twisted way that her actions were OK in the eyes of God/Allah and her husband/Family

Very sad, another little life snuffed out for no reason other than to pacify/seek favour with a Non existant Diety....!!!!!

[Jesus.]

http://static.fjcdn.com/gifs/Grandpa_bfaf78_777622.gif

[bbfan1991]

RIP to her son:(. Serves her right, although no sentence will ever bring him back but at least justice has been done.