Mother Kills Children Hours After Police Release Her for Assault

In a heartbreaking turn of events, a mother named Veronique John murdered her two young children, Elizabeth (7) and Ethan (11), just hours after police allowed her to return home following an assault on her husband.

The incident occurred in June 2023 in Stoke, UK. Veronique had been detained the previous day after her husband, Nathan, called 999 alleging she had assaulted him. Despite the assault, police deemed Veronique "quite apologetic" and allowed her to return home in the early hours of Sunday, June 11.

Tragically, Veronique then carried out the fatal attacks on her children later that same day. Police were alerted when Nathan called again to report he had been stabbed. Authorities found the children dead at the family's home, and Veronique was arrested.

An inquest revealed that if a domestic violence protection notice had been issued instead of a community resolution notice, Veronique would have been prevented from returning home for 48 hours. This could have potentially saved the lives of Elizabeth and Ethan. The investigation also found the police's initial response to be "inadequate."

Veronique John has since been handed an indefinite hospital order for her horrific crimes. This devastating incident serves as a tragic reminder of the importance of robust domestic violence protocols to protect vulnerable families.