DUBAI // A father drowned his daughters, aged 2 and 7, before killing himself because he wanted his wife to have a better life, a police source has said.
F I, 36, from Pakistan, arrived home from a night out to find her husband’s body floating in the swimming pool of their villa off Emirates Road. She then found her daughters’ bodies upstairs.
The family’s Ethiopian housemaid told police that the father, K I, 40, was deeply depressed.
She said she went to bed at 10.30pm on Sunday.
The mother arrived home at 12.30am. The source said the husband sent her an email at 11pm saying she deserved a better life than he could give her.
He said he decided to kill himself and the girls as he could not bear to leave them and no one would take care of them.
He wished her luck for a better life.
Neighbours told police the father was a nice man with a good reputation, who could often be seen playing with his daughters.
They said the mother had a strong character but was often out, and that the children relied on their father.
The wife’s brother was also sleeping at the villa on the night of the tragedy.
When police arrived at the villa early on Monday morning, they found the older girl wearing a nightdress and lying in the upstairs bathroom, which was flooded with the shower left running.
She had been strangled then drowned. The younger daughter suffered the same fate but had been wrapped in a blanket and placed back in bed.
Their father had removed his shoes, clothes and glasses before entering the pool. He was found in his underwear.
Police are continuing their investigation into the reasons behind the tragedy.
A post-mortem examination will soon be conducted on the three bodies.
A preliminary forensics report said the two girls had died due to suffocation caused by drowning.
newsdesk@thenational.ae
