Strange beliefs that were fatal to their son. A couple living in Birmingham (United Kingdom) were found guilty of causing the death of their three-year-old son, whose body they embalmed and buried themselves in their garden, reports Sky News.
The facts date back to the beginning of 2020, in the middle of the Covid pandemic, when little Abiyah died after contracting a respiratory illness. The child also suffered from fractures, severe malnutrition, rickets, anemia, growth retardation and even serious dental caries. According to examination of his skeletal remains, Abiyah had six fractures to his arms, legs and ribs, and the exact cause of his death could not be established due to the condition of the body.
Tai and Naiyahmi Yasharahyalah kept their child's body in their bed for eight days, before embalming it and then burying it 80 cm deep in their garden in Birmingham.
Judges heard that both parents had fled traditional society to create their own “kingdom” and were motivated by a belief system, including a restrictive vegan diet. This would explain why the parents never sought help despite their child's multiple health problems. “None of them are stupid. They were zealous in their beliefs,” prosecutor Jonas Hankin told Coventry court.
The two-month trial heard that Tai, who was born in London and qualified in medical genetics, carried out an “eight-day ritual” before embalming and burying his son in the hope he would “come back”.
Defense lawyers argued that the couple buried Abiyah in the hope that he would be “born again”, rather than to hide his death. “They truly believed they were doing the right thing. They believed that their diet and their belief in natural and holistic medicines were the best solution,” attorney Bernard Tetlow said during the trial.
According to the defense, the couple had “invented” a belief system incorporating aspects of Igbo culture (Editor's note: a Nigerian ethnic group) which Tai adapted to form a system he called “refined law”. They told police they had renounced British citizenship and were living an “off-the-grid” existence, at one point even living in a shipping container.
Joe Davenport, the police detective who followed the investigation, said Tai was a “very arrogant,” “whimsical” and “manipulative” man. His wife Naiyahmi is described as “incredibly weak-minded” and willing to put her devotion to her husband before her own child.
Arrested in December 2022 in a caravan in Glastonbury (southern England) five days before Abiyah's body was found, the couple was unanimously convicted by the court. Their sentence will be pronounced this Thursday.
