A 23-year-old Eritrean man has been indicted for the brutal knife murder of his UN diplomat father and attempted murder of his Jordanian mother in an attack last year in Harare.
Daniel Niyata Fussum allegedly stabbed his parents, Daniel and Zerom Fussum, a total of 18 times using a kitchen knife in their Mt Pleasant home.
Niyata’s father died instantly in the attack while his mother suffered severe injuries and had to be hospitalized for weeks.
At the time of the crime, Niyata was studying at a university in the Netherlands. He has been in custody since then.
Niyata’s trial has been scheduled for June 15 and 16. Prosecutors accuse him of butchering his father with the knife, killing him instantly, while stabbing his mother 13 times. However, the motive for the violent attack remains unclear.
The brutal nature of the crime, involving the cold-blooded murder of a diplomat and severe injury to his wife using a kitchen implement, has sh0cked many. However, the circumstances that could drive a son to allegedly commit such horrific violence against his own parents also remain a mystery.
The case highlights the dangers of unresolved tensions or mental health issues that, when left unchecked, could potentially erupt in explosive violence with tragic consequences for families. While the details are sparse, the brutality of the alleged crimes committed by Niyata suggest a darkness that led him to shatter his own family in blood.
