It was a real carnage. A mother and three of her daughters murdered with knives and hammers in Longueuil. Only two children had survived their father’s murderous madness. Almost 26 years later, the surviving daughters of Mahmoud El-Tomi pleaded with the commissioners on Wednesday to keep their executioner behind bars.
“Twenty-five years is not enough for someone who killed in cold blood… He killed my mother in cold blood. Afterwards, he entered the house, he attacked me. He slit 8-year-old Hend’s throat and strangled a 2-year-old baby. He waited hours for my 13-year-old sister, he even stabbed her in front of the house.
“Twenty-five years is not enough. Commissioner, do not allow his release. His place is in prison. ”
It was through this horror story that Rania *, the murderer’s eldest daughter, now 77, asked the Parole Board of Canada (PBC) to deny her father’s new request for release. . Rania, 18 at the time, was seriously injured on that tragic evening in January 1996.
“It’s not Rania! She is not my daughter! », His father then got carried away, in spite of the reminders to the order of the commissioners.
PHOTO LIBRARY AND NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF QUEBEC, THE PRESS
Poster in the Montreal metro dated March 20, 1996
Sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of release before 18 years old in 1996, Mahmoud El-Tomi appeared before the PBC for the first time since 2016. However, his hearing was finally postponed until next year, at his request. in order to allow him to consult a lawyer. His daughters were nevertheless able to read punching letters by videoconference.
Nora * was 9 years old when she came close to death. With her baby by her side, the survivor courageously addressed the commissioners on Wednesday, despite her father’s indignant exclamations.
No one can understand the psychological havoc [causé par] that man. I am sometimes afraid to go for a walk alone with my children. I worry that anyone can attack us. These feelings will always live with us.
Nora *, daughter of the assassin
“This woman is not my daughter!” I have never seen her! », Then spat the murderer interrupting his daughter.
Ignoring this scandal, Nora calmly continued.
“I find it very unfair that he should consider getting his freedom. My mom and sisters will never get this chance. Moreover, from one hearing to the next, he never showed the slightest remorse towards us, his victims. He feels sorry for himself. If this man is free, I wouldn’t feel safe for me and my family, ”Nora concluded.
Upset, her big sister Rania told the commissioners to have to live with deep “psychological scars”. “He made me orphan of sisters and a mother. Why would he have the right to obtain his freedom? They left bringing back a part of me that I could never find, ”she breathed, her voice broken with emotion.
This tragedy caused a stir at the time. Mahmoud El-Tomi had murdered his wife Aida in their van, before savagely killing three of their daughters, Houidad, Hend and Leila, in the house. He then tried to end his life. His 9 and 18-year-old daughters miraculously survived the attack, but not without after-effects.
Four murders allegedly committed in a context of honor. In 2016, Mahmoud El-Tomi explained to the commissioners that he had made these gestures because he felt “insulted” by his wife. In his culture, he said, the wife must obey her husband. However, his wife did not respect this precept. According to the articles of the time, his wife was Catholic, while he practiced Sufism, a current of Islam.
Five years ago, Mahmoud El-Tomi still seemed far from being rehabilitated, even though he said he no longer advocated the use of violence. The Commission also considered his risk of recidivism in a domestic context to be “high”. The commissioners also pointed out his low capacity for introspection, his low motivation and his recent refusal to enroll in therapy programs.
“The Commission is of the opinion that you do not take full responsibility for your crimes since you are blaming part of the blame on one of your victims. You have a limited understanding of your criminality, ”the PBC ruled in 2016.
With the collaboration of Daniel Renaud, Press
* Fictitious names