Share and Follow
“Would you like to go to heaven?”
This was the chilling question that a young girl heard just moments before being pushed into the river, still clad in her princess dress and school shoes.
As detailed in court documents, she was on a bridge spanning the Georges River in Sydney’s southwest in September 2023, accompanied by another girl, when Hoda Elabady posed this unsettling question.
Unwavering in her aspirations, the child responded, “No, I have a bright future,” expressing her ambition to become a police officer one day.
Ignoring the child’s protest, Elabady lifted her and hurled her into the waters 1.8 meters below, as the court later heard.
The 39-year-old then asked the second girl whether she wanted to “go to God” before also throwing her from the bridge.Â
She faced a NSW District Court today after pleading not guilty to two counts of attempting to drown the girls with intent to murder.Â
Elabady could not be held responsible for her actions due to her severe mental illness, her lawyer previously argued.
She lives with schizophrenia and was experiencing acute psychosis which involved hallucinations telling her to kill the girls and die by suicide.
Elabady had watched from above, anger plastered on her face, as the two girls struggled to remain above the water, Judge Huw Baker said.
“Please let us back up,” one of the girls yelled.
Instead the woman attempted to die by suicide, sustaining significant injuries to her legs and lower body, the court was told.
Standing on something submerged in the river, with nothing but a stick to help them stay afloat, the girls hugged each other and tried to signal for help.
A passer-by finally heard their calls at midday and pulled them from the water before they were taken to hospital, Judge Baker said.
“(We) recognise the bravery of the two young girls who, for a very terrifying two hours, were in the water in the Georges River in what can only be described as the most horrific and terrifying circumstances,” he said.
The judge found Elabady had tried to drown the children but could not be held criminally responsible for her actions because of her mental illnesses.Â
She is believed to have been living with an untreated mental impairment since she was 17 years old, according to mental health experts cited in court.
Elabady’s mental health deteriorated in the months before the incident, the court was told.
She began telling others she had been talking with an angel and one day said the “evil touched me” before revealing a mark on her thigh.
One of the specialists had “absolute medical confidence” she did not know what she had done was wrong, Judge Baker noted.
She currently shows no overt symptoms of psychosis and, with ongoing treatment, he said she would not pose a risk to herself or the community.
If you or someone you know is in need of support contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue. In the event of an emergency dial Triple Zero (000).
NEVER MISS A STORY: Get your breaking news and exclusive stories first by following us across all platforms.