Mother of Sanaya Sahib confesses to toddler’s murder
TWO days after Sofina Nikat captured this footage with her 14-month old daughter and sent it to the toddler’s father, little Sanaya Sahib was dead.
“HELLO, how are you doing? I miss you. Miss you lots.”
Two days after Sofina Nikat captured this footage with her 14-month-old daughter, little Sanaya Sahib was dead.
Seven News has obtained video footage of the mum with her little girl, which was sent to Sanaya’s estranged father, Sameer Sahib, on Thursday. According to Seven, it was the last time he would hear the sound of his daughter’s voice. He has since revealed he’s had to identify the body of the little girl.
“I’ve had to go and identify the body, I’d never think I’d do that in my whole life, not to my own daughter,” he said.
“She was such a bubbly girl, I didn’t have much time to play with her.
“It was a life cut so short, miss out on all the fun things in life, you know, taking her down to the park, playing with her, buying a car.
“I saw her last Thursday and she wanted to come in my lap. I just wish I brought her home with me.”
Sanaya Sahib's father has spoken of his grief, as he shared heartbreaking images of his little girl. @broberts_7 https://t.co/DJgQDV7TlT
— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) April 13, 2016
Earlier, Mrs Nikat did not appear in court this morning because of fears over her mental state.
Sofina Nikat, 22, was excused from appearing in the Melbourne Magistrates Court after she was assessed by a psychiatric nurse and doctor in custody this morning.
Her lawyer Michael McNamara told the court it was Nikat’s “preference” not to be brought into court from the cells below the building.
That view was supported by medical advice, he said. He told Magistrate Johanna Metcalfe he had been told there were serious concerns about Nikat's mental state.
A brief of evidence will have to be prepared by prosecutors by June 22, with a committal hearing to be held in August.
Nikat was remanded in custody.
She was charged with the murder of the 14-month old last night after police said she confessed to the murder to them.
Detective Senior Sergeant Stuart Bailey told an out-of-court-sessions hearing last night Nikat had made a “full confession” over the death of her daughter in a police interview.
She was pictured arriving at that hearing covering her face with a copy of the Quran while sitting between two detectives.
Dressed in thongs and a dark cardigan, she held the book in her hand throughout and spoke quietly to say she had been looked after while in custody.
The child was found dead in Darebin Creek, in Melbourne’s northeast, early on Sunday morning.
THE EMPTY PRAM
Police are yet to comment on what they found in CCTV footage at the scene, but Channel 7 has shown chilling footage of Ms Nikat captured on security cameras.
The images show Ms Nikat entering Olympic Park, Heidelberg West, where Sanaya’s body was found, with a pram.
She is later seen calmly leaving the park with an empty pram.
Channel Seven reporter Karen O’Sullivan told Nick McCallum on Melbourne’s 3AW footage was also taken from security cameras outside a resident’s house nearby.
“The woman clearly is walking with a pram, it’s difficult to determine immediately what is in the pram as she walks towards the park and towards the road that leads to Darebin Creek,” she said.
“However on the way back, the pram is clearly empty.”
SANAYA’S FATHER IN SHOCK
Sanaya Sahib’s father Sameer said last night that he was struggling to comprehend his daughter’s death.
“I just feel sick in my stomach,” Mr Sahib told the Herald Sun.
“I haven’t had any sleep and I can’t eat properly.”
Meanwhile, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton on Tuesday tweeted: “Tks [Thanks] to our members for their hard work on this”.
Last night, the family of the deceased said they had no comment when asked if they knew of the recent developments. Network Ten reported they were phoned by police shortly before Nikat’s arrest was made public.
CAUSE OF DEATH SUSPECTED TO BE SMOTHERING
A post mortem is expected to show Sanaya died of smothering, the Herald Sun reports. However police media said the results had not been finalised.
Police said investigators were “no longer looking for anyone else in relation to this investigation”, but refused to go into further detail about the allegations surrounding the woman.
The charges come after Sanaya’s body was found in a creek about 2.45am Sunday, hours after her mother Sofina Nikat claimed a shoeless African man smelling of alcohol abducted her 14-month-old daughter while she was walking with her in Olympic Park, Heidelberg West, on Saturday afternoon.
The mother’s account sparked a major manhunt involving mounted police, members of the public and the State Emergency Services. No independent witnesses came forward to confirm the 22-year-old’s account.
Woman charged with murder following death of baby Sanaya Sahib https://t.co/Qr2uaFA0f8
— Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) April 12, 2016
Police leaving the house where baby Sanaya had been staying before her death. pic.twitter.com/Rf9W4QcNOU
— Chloe Booker (@chloebooker) April 12, 2016
TONIGHT | Sanaya Sahib murder charges. Shocking EXCLUSIVE pictures that led to the dramatic police breakthrough. pic.twitter.com/wZrGY5KDQJ
— 7 News Melbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) April 12, 2016
FAMILY SAY CHILD ‘DIDN’T DESERVE’ TO DIE
Earlier, Sofina Nikat’s uncle Habib Ali told the Herald Sunan ambulance was called to his Heidelberg West home, where the mother and daughter had been staying, a week before the child’s death because Sanaya suffered a seizure.
Mr Ali dismissed the episode as “nothing really”, but paramedics were worried it had been triggered through a lack of oxygen via smothering, the Herald Sunreported.
Mr Ali told media outside his home Sanaya “didn’t deserve” what happened to her. She’s such a cute little kid … I don’t know why this happened. Whoever done it, shame on him, he is a coward.”
Ms Nikat and Sanaya had been living with Mr Ali after she split with Sameer Sahib, Sanaya’s father.
Mr Ali said Ms Nikat was shocked and “crying a lot” after the death of the child.
“She doesn’t know what to do or what’s going on, obviously.”
He said the family still did not know what had happened to Sanaya or how she died. They also had sympathy for Mr Sahib who is struggling to understand what has happened.
Fairfax reported on Tuesday two men that Sanaya had contact with in recent days were facing serious criminal charges, including family violence and assault.
TRIBUTES FOR YOUNG GIRL
Dozens of people have also left flowers and cards for the toddler near the creek where her body was found.
One crying woman said she didn’t know the family bit couldn’t believe something so tragic could happen in their community.
“RIP sweetheart. So very sorry for your family, our heart breaks with them,” read one of the many cards left alongside a soft pink toy.
Soccer players from Heidelberg United Football Club observed a minute’s silence for Sanaya before their match against Port Melbourne on Monday night.
TIMELINE OF EVENTS
• 10am, Saturday, April 9: Sofina Nikat tells police a man smelling of alcohol had snatched her daughter from her pram while they were walking through Olympic Reserve in Heidelberg West
• 2.45am, Sunday, April 10: Sanaya Sahib’s body is found submerged in Darebin Creek near where her mother told police the girl had been snatched
• 8.45am, Tuesday, April 12: Nikat arrested by police in Mont Albert
• 6pm, Tuesday, April 12: Sofina Nikat faces out-of-session court charged with one count of murder after police say she made full admissions to killing her daughter.
— With AAP
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