Lebanese man charged with killing Syrian wife and torturing her with hot oil

The mother of H A, a Syrian woman born in 2004, filed a complaint in Lebanon accusing A M of murdering and torturing her daughter, according to a report by the Lebanese Broadcasting Corporation on Friday. A M, born in 1996, had a prior criminal history involving drug related offenses, theft, and violent assault.

The Baabda Judicial Detachment arrested A M in the Ouzai area following weeks of surveillance. He had repeatedly tried to avoid arrest and spent roughly a month hiding in a tent on a Sidon beach.

During questioning, A M denied intentionally killing his wife. He claimed she had been cooking when boiling oil spilled on her, causing fatal injuries. However, investigators stated that his account did not match the evidence found at the scene.

Police reported that the gas cylinder and its installation spot were empty, and there were no signs of oil or liquid on the floor, contradicting the suspects version of events.

Interviews with A Ms sons, aged ten and eleven, revealed that they had been sent away on the day of the womans death. The boys told authorities their father regularly beat and tortured both their mother, his former wife, and H A. They described incidents in which he stripped the women and used electrical wires and other objects to harm them in front of the children.

The boys also recounted that their father gagged H A, burned her with hot water or oil, injured her with charcoal tongs, burned her face with embers, and subjected her to electric shocks.

A Ms father, S M, stated that his son had been having marital problems and became angry after discovering that H A had contacted her former husband. He said that after an initial argument, his son struck H A and confiscated her phone. Later, during another confrontation, he reportedly burned her with oil and hit her in the face, causing her to lose consciousness and collapse. According to S M, A M brought her to a hospital two days later.

Two of A Ms former wives also informed police that they had previously suffered abuse from him.

Author: Gavin Porter