Crime

Malaga court convicts woman of attempting to cut brother's throat after stopping psychiatric treatment

The provincial court of Malaga has agreed to suspend her prison sentence of one year and four months on condition that she undergo medical treatment for five years

22/10/2026 Actualizado a las 09:45h.

A young woman in Malaga province has been convicted of attempted murder after trying to cut her brother's throat with a bread knife in ... 2025. According to the court, the incident took place months after the defendant had stopped attending her scheduled psychiatric treatment.

The ruling grants her partial exemption on the grounds of mental disturbance.

The events, which the defendant admitted to in court, took place in the early hours of 29 June 2025. The young woman was with her brother at the family home when an argument broke out between them. She attacked the victim with a bread knife, taking advantage of the fact that he was looking at his computer and mobile phone.

According to the ruling, the defendant approached her brother from behind and, after holding his head in place, attempted to slit his throat with the weapon, which had a 20-centimetre blade. However, the blade was not sharp, which thwarted her intention. She then tried to inflict two stab wounds to the abdomen, but these also failed to penetrate as the knife had a rounded tip.

The victim managed to get to his feet and wrestle the weapon from his sister, sustaining cuts to his hands during the struggle. The young woman then locked herself in her room until the police and emergency services arrived. The brother suffered several cuts to his neck and hands, which have left him with moderate cosmetic damage.

According to the ruling, at the time of the events, the defendant was suffering from a partial impairment of her intellectual and volitional faculties due to a psychotic episode. It states that the woman had been receiving mental health care since 2020 and that, in the months leading up to the assault, she had stopped taking her prescribed medication.

The defendant fully admitted the facts and agreed to the sentence. Consequently, she was to one year and four months' imprisonment. The public prosecution did not object to the suspension of the custodial sentence for a period of two years, subject to her not reoffending during that period.

The ruling also imposes a five-year probation order, which includes the obligation to undergo medical supervision appropriate to her condition, as well as a restraining order banning contact with her brother for two years. Furthermore, she must pay him compensation of 13,500 euros.

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