The woman residing in Fitero (Navarra) who allegedly tried to kill her three children this Thursday poisoned them with salfumán and, seeing that it had no effect, tried to stab them. The minors, ages 3, 5 and 9, are now recovering at the University Hospital of Navarra, in Pamplona. Both the oldest and the youngest are in the ICU, and the situation of the latter is of particular concern. The mother is also hospitalized in police custody, as she tried to take her own life after the parricide attempt, although her life is not in danger.

This family, of Moroccan origin, had lived for four years in Fitero, a town in the Ribera de Navarra where there is a large community of North African origin. The father of the children and husband of the detained woman works in construction in Gipuzkoa, and in the afternoon he went to Fitero after learning of the terrible events. As published by Diario de Noticias, the family was going to return to Morocco, on vacation, next week.

The events occurred after 12:00 noon, when the woman was at home with the three minors and her husband was working in Hernani (Gipuzkoa). The two eldest children, ages 5 and 9, went out into the street asking for help and the neighbors alerted the Civil Guard.

The agents entered the home with the two children and found the mother and the youngest son, 3 years old, seriously injured. The mother had tried to poison the minors with salfuman and, seeing that she did not achieve her goal, she tried to stab them. The minors suffered several cuts as a result of their mother’s attacks.