Fatiha Sabreen died on her 11th birthday after being accidentally poisoned by her neighbour Jesmine Akter in London. The 34-year-old imported aluminium phosphide without a licence to kill insects in her flat in Tower Hamlets, east London, UK. The crime took place in December 2021.
Jasmine failed to read the instructions on the package and ended up spreading a lethal amount of the substance before leaving her home for 24 hours. The product reacted with moisture, producing a toxic gas (phosphine) that is as deadly as chemical warfare agents.
Phosphine entered the neighbors’ apartments, which led to the death of Fatiha Sabrin, as well as the hospitalization of another child.
Last Thursday, Jasmine Akter was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment, suspended, and ordered to do 150 hours of unpaid work.
The judge who heard the case highlighted the dangers of Jasmin’s decision to carry the aluminium phosphide on a passenger flight from Italy, which could have caused a “catastrophic aviation accident and put hundreds of lives at risk” if the packaging had been damaged or opened during the flight.