Aleksey, a 15-year-old gamer boy in Kazakhstan, admitted to killing his sister after bashing her head multiple times with a hammer while she was sleeping. Daily Mail reports that the cause of his rage seemed to stem from an argument the siblings had earlier as Luda, his 10-year-old sister, wanted to borrow his computer tablet for studying.
The incident enraged the teenager enough that it caused him to bash his sister's head with a hammer during the night as she was sleeping. He then reportedly carried her body outside their home and carried it out in the street, dumping it near their neighbor's fence.
According to local media, after covering up the evidence, he then changed his clothes and alerted their parents that her sister was missing. The family then rushed to search for the girl with Aleksey "actively participating" in the search.
When their efforts seemed bleak, the family decided to seek the aid of the authorities. It was then that neighbor, Kristina Gosteva, noticed the girl's body dumped next to her property. She described how the girl's head was crushed, and that fragments of her skull fell off when paramedics came in to get her.
Law enforcement filed a criminal case for murder against Aleksey, who admitted to the crime. During an interrogation, he said that he killed his sister because she pissed him off. If found guilty, he will face up to 15 years in prison.
The head deputy of the criminal investigations department, Ardak Madimarov, said in a statement that the hammer together with the suspect's T-shirt and shoes were covered with the victim's blood. They were reportedly discovered in the house.
According to the head deputy of a local police department, Zhandos Mametkulov, Luda died from injuries incompatible with life before paramedics arrived at the scene.
Why do Some Kids Kill their Siblings?
According to Dr. Gail Gross, a member of the American Psychological Association, and a nationally recognized family, child development, and human behaviour expert, children could kill if they feel victimized, or when they face restraints that they consider to be unfair.
She says that children under the age of 11 who kill don't usually comprehend that death is a permanent event. However, once children traverse into adolescence, their motivation behind killing would be due to feelings of being picked on or because they feel that they were wronged.
Psychologists say that the stress of anger can elevate the cortisol levels in the brain, which also affects the control of impulses. When adolescents lose impulse control, they may reach for a power symbol, like a knife or gun. In Aleksey's case, it was a hammer.
Furthermore, If they lose control and choose a weapon, they may kill to mask their behavior. Adolescents, in particular, can display this high-risk behaviour, as their immaturity and impulsivity can cloud their judgment.
How do you Keep the Peace Among your Kids?
Sibling rivalry is common and happens for several reasons. KidsHealth says that conflict among siblings arise due to their evolving needs, individual temperaments, different role models, and special needs, mainly if a sibling is sick, requiring extra attention and care.
When fights arise, experts advise not to get involved. Meddle only if there's an actual danger of physical harm. Experts say you risk creating other problems if you always intervene. Additionally, you might end up siding with one child, which makes things worse.
Furthermore, a study suggests that children who are bullied by siblings are more likely to develop mental health disorders when they're older. To prevent this, Professor Claire Hughes, a developmental psychologist at the Centre for Family Research at Cambridge University, advises parents to monitor their children's behaviour towards each other closely.
She advises trying to work out the causes of conflict between each child and talking to them individually when the situation comes up. She adds that parents should also portray how to give in to an argument gracefully. Furthermore, she says they should also acknowledge the spontaneous nature of the relationship.
