MUM KILLED HER BABY DAUGHTER IN LEEDS HOME BELIEVING SHE WAS 'POSSESSED BY THE DEVIL' IN HORRIFIC TRAGEDY
A mother with schizophrenia murdered her infant daughter at their residence in Leeds after believing she was possessed by “the devil”.Mimie Tchatchouang, a part-time student with no prior mental health issues, strangled 20-month-old Eden Nanseu to eliminate what she believed was evil.
The incident occurred at their home on Beckhill Walk in Chapel Allerton.
In the days before the tragic event in January 2020, court proceedings revealed Tchatchouang exhibited increasingly erratic behavior and spoke about an evil presence within the home.
She reportedly opened windows to “let the spirit out” and engaged in persistent prayer, including during the night hours.
Witnesses said she sprayed “pure water” around the house and anointed her child with olive oil.
The 40-year-old denied charges of murder but admitted to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility, which the court accepted.
As a result, she was issued a hospital treatment order, which will keep her detained in a secure mental health facility indefinitely.
Forensic psychiatrist Dr.
Suraj Shenoy testified that Tchatchouang experienced a “clear acute psychotic episode” and confirmed she was suffering from paranoid schizophrenia.
He explained she had lost contact with reality, hearing voices and becoming convinced her daughter was possessed by an evil spirit or the devil.
Dr.
Shenoy stated: “She believed God was communicating through her, and interpreted Eden’s crying as proof of the child's possession by an evil entity.” Prosecutor Robert Smith KC noted Tchatchouang, originally from Cameroon, came to the UK in September 2014 with her husband.
She was studying health and social care along with English and mathematics at Thomas Danby College in Leeds.
On January 15, 2020, around 9am, Tchatchouang was at her home with Eden.
The court heard her husband had become increasingly alarmed by her behavior over the preceding weeks but was not concerned she might harm anyone.
Later that day, shortly after midday, she phoned her husband, calmly reporting the death of a “mutual friend”.
Concerned, he called emergency services.
When paramedics arrived, they found Tchatchouang holding her phone in one hand and Eden in her other arm, paying little attention to their efforts to save the baby.
She ignored medical personnel and sat in the ambulance, chanting and reciting the Lord’s Prayer while pointing her phone at her daughter.
Despite attempts to revive Eden for over half an hour, the child could not be saved.
Tchatchouang claimed she could not remember what happened and said she intended to “bring her daughter back to life.” She was not detained immediately and was allowed home; however, her behavior worsened, with continued chanting, wailing, praying, shouting about the devil, refusing food, and destroying property.
She was eventually detained under section after her arrest.
Subsequently, she was taken to the Newsam Centre at Seacroft Hospital, where it was confirmed that Eden died from asphyxia.
Defense counsel Nicholas Lumley KC described the case as tragic and emphasized Tchatchouang’s limited awareness of her actions, highlighting her transformation from a loving mother to someone overwhelmed by her mental health issues.
She expressed deep remorse for her actions.
The Recorder of Leeds, Guy Kearl KC, decided on a hospital order instead of imprisonment after noting she responded well to psychiatric medication but remained at risk of relapse.
She will stay in the secure unit at Seacroft Hospital until further notice.
The judge remarked that her mental state substantially impaired her responsibility for the killing and stressed that her current stability is due to treatment.
He warned that if she relapses, she could become highly dangerous and that her condition was undiagnosed at the time of the offense.
The decision aims to protect both her well-being and public safety.
