A mother suffering from paranoid schizophrenia has been sentenced to an indefinite hospital order after fatally stabbing her daughter, Shay Kang, 11 times while she slept. Jaskirat Kaur, 33, showed no emotion during the proceedings at Wolverhampton Crown Court, where the tragic details of the case were revealed.
Incident Overview
- Date of Incident: March 4, 2024
- Victim: Shay Kang, a schoolgirl
- Circumstances: Kaur stabbed her daughter with a Swiss Army knife at their home in Rowley Regis, West Midlands. Following the incident, Kaur called emergency services, stating, “My kid is dead.”
Mental Health and Motivation
During the investigation, it was disclosed that Kaur believed she was being targeted by “lasers and technology.” She expressed that she had been experiencing delusions prior to the attack, claiming that these external forces prompted her actions. Upon police arrival, she stated, “It was me (that killed her) because I didn’t want her getting took by it,” suggesting a distorted perception of reality.
In her police interviews, Kaur admitted to having wanted to kill her daughter for seven months, justifying her actions with statements about protecting Shay from perceived dangers. She was quoted saying, “I would kill her again. I wanted her to die, I don’t regret it.”
Legal Proceedings
Kaur pleaded guilty to manslaughter on the grounds of diminished responsibility in August 2024. This plea led to her being sentenced to an indefinite hospital order instead of facing a murder trial, a decision that has been met with criticism from those close to the victim.
Reactions and Safeguarding Review
Kayleigh Colclough, Shay’s godmother, expressed disappointment over the legal outcome, stating that “justice has not been served” because Kaur was not tried for murder. Colclough, who co-parented Shay for the first five years of her life, emphasized her belief that a trial would have revealed the full circumstances and possibly resulted in a different sentence for Kaur.
In light of this tragic event, the Sandwell Children’s Safeguarding Partnership has initiated an independent Local Child Safeguarding Practice Review (LCSPR) to identify any lessons that can be learned from the circumstances surrounding Shay’s death.
The case highlights the complex interplay between mental health issues and the legal system, raising important questions about safeguarding and the responsibilities of authorities in protecting vulnerable individuals, especially children. The community continues to mourn Shay’s untimely death, as discussions around justice and mental health support persist.
