– Damascus authorities say misunderstanding led to fatal attack on 87-year-old veteran performer_
A Ugandan woman working as a housemaid in Syria has confessed to killing veteran Syrian actress Huda Shaarawi, 87, who was found dead in her apartment in the Bab Sreijeh neighborhood of Damascus last month.
According to Syrian security officials, Vicky Ajok fled the scene after the murder but was later apprehended. Authorities say she has since confessed to the killing, which they describe as resulting from a tragic misunderstanding.
The Syrian Ministry of Justice released Ajok’s confession on Sunday, stating that the actress had repeatedly expressed frustration over the maid’s inability to understand her instructions. In her statement, Ajok said she was “very sick and exhausted” at the time, and misinterpreted a warning from Shaarawi: “Don’t touch these things or anything in the fridge because you poisoned it.”
Investigators say Ajok then attacked Shaarawi with a sharp object while she lay on her bed, causing fatal injuries. The crime was discovered by the actress’s grandson, who found her body covered in blood and immediately alerted authorities.
The case has drawn public attention in both Syria and Uganda, raising concerns about migrant worker conditions and communication barriers in domestic employment.
