Man acquitted of murdering son he thought was the Devil

A father who stabbed his five-year-old son 76 times, believing his child was the Devil, was found not guilty of murder due to his mental illness.

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The 38-year-old from Sydney, Australia, was found to have been suffering from schizophrenia since 2003 during the course of the trial. The court’s decision was issued yesterday, July 24, as per 7News Sydney yesterday.

The accused was reportedly in the middle of a psychotic episode when he committed the crime.

Days before the tragedy, the man admitted to having thoughts that his son was the Devil.

The tragedy took place on June 8, 2018, after the man’s mother had left the pair at their house, where she had been caring for her grandchild despite concerns over her son’s mental well-being.

As per report, the grandmother immediately brought the child to the Westmead Children’s Hospital, where he was declared dead.

“I thought my son was the devil, well no, I know he is, but he’s dead now. Well I think he is,” the man told police following his arrest last year.

The court ordered for the father to be detained in a mental health screening unit indefinitely, as per report. Ryan Arcadio/JB

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