UPDATE: A mother, Rita Khatri, has been sentenced to four years and eight months in prison after dousing herself and her seven-year-old son in kerosene and igniting a fire in their kitchen. The dramatic incident, which occurred on June 26, 2022, in Melbourne, left the young boy terrified, pleading for his life as he attempted to escape his mother’s desperate actions.
In a hearing on Tuesday afternoon, Khatri, 36, was charged with recklessly engaging in conduct that endangered her son, a significant downgrade from her original attempted murder charge. The court heard that Khatri was under immense stress due to her failing marriage and the looming threat of deportation, having migrated to Australia after meeting her second husband online in 2023.
During the proceedings, presiding judge Justice James Gorton described Khatri as acting out of “desperation, rather than malice,” while highlighting the severity of her actions. CCTV footage captured her purchasing eight liters of kerosene from a local Bunnings store and later asking her son, “do you want to play a game?” before the tragic events unfolded.
The horrifying scene escalated when Khatri ignited clothing soaked in kerosene, triggering chaos as her son cried out, “mommy I don’t want to die” and “stop killing us.” The boy managed to escape, reaching out to a passing motorist for help, while Khatri followed, shouting in frustration. Emergency services arrived shortly after, finding Khatri in a state of despair, claiming she had “nothing to live for.”
Following her arrest, Khatri attempted to manipulate the narrative, urging those caring for her son to convince him to misrepresent the incident as an accident. This led to an additional charge of attempting to pervert the course of justice, which she also pleaded guilty to.
Justice Gorton acknowledged Khatri’s early admission of guilt and her complex mental health issues, but he emphasized that her actions put her son at grave risk. Remarkably, the boy did not suffer burns but was hospitalized due to skin damage from the kerosene. The judge commended the child for his “remarkable courage” during the traumatic event.
The court was informed that Khatri continues to view herself as a victim, expressing disappointment that the system had failed her. However, Justice Gorton conveyed his skepticism regarding her claims of not intending harm, stating, “You continue to assert that you did not intend to cause harm to yourself or your son, which has an air of unreliability about it.”
As Khatri begins her sentence, the case highlights the urgent need for mental health support and intervention for individuals in crisis.
For those in need of help, resources are available:
– Lifeline: 13 11 14
– Kids Helpline: 1800 551 800
– Men’s Line Australia: 1300 789 978
– Suicide Call Back Service: 1300 659 467
– Beyond Blue: 1300 224 636
– Headspace: 1800 650 890
– SANE: 1800 18 7263
Stay tuned for more updates as this case develops.
