A young man with a strong interest in Chucky dolls, a character from horror movies, killed his father using a hammer and knife, causing injuries to a woman and a child. Fabio Botros, who was 19 at the time of the incident in April 2025, was charged with murdering his father, Smad Samir Botros Farag, aged 57, and attempting to murder the other two victims. Botros, now 20, admitted to manslaughter and causing serious harm to the woman and child. Due to severe mental health problems, he received an indefinite hospital order.
Botros had been hospitalized for mental health issues on multiple occasions and had expressed suicidal thoughts to a social worker in 2024. His family noted a significant decline in his mental health, attributed to a misdiagnosis of autism and depression. Sussex Police reported finding the woman and child injured outside the family home on the day of the incident, with the father found dead inside.
Despite showing improvement on medication, Botros’ treatment was altered based on a misdiagnosis, leading to a tragic outcome. A diagnosis of paranoid schizophrenia was confirmed by Dr. Michael Kavuma. The judge highlighted the critical error in reducing Botros’ medication, which ultimately resulted in his father’s death. In the period leading up to the incident, Botros exhibited concerning behavior, including social withdrawal and responding to hallucinations. His father had sought urgent help shortly before the tragic event.
