Mother Drowns 2-Year-Old Son In Bathtub To Protect Him From 'Demons'

A mother who drowned her son in a bathtub to protect him from “demons” was detained under the Mental Health Act in the U.K.

Natalie Steele, 32, pleaded guilty to manslaughter by reason of diminished responsibility.

Prosecutor Michael Jones QC said in court Tuesday it was “quite clear the defendant had been mentally unwell for a number of months prior to the death of Reid,” according to Wales Online.

The mother was detained under the Mental Health Act during Tuesday’s court session and given an indefinite hospital order.

Reid, aged 2, was found "floppy and lifeless" on the bathroom floor by his grandmother after Steele held him underwater during bathtime at the family home in Bridgend, the court heard Tuesday.

Steele, who was described as a “devoted” mother in court, had paranoid delusions about her family having "demons within them" and felt they had "big eyes and contorted faces."

Steele returned from a camping trip on August 11, 2021, and carried out her son's killing. She took her son upstairs to give him a bath and later came back down to her mother and stepfather and said: “You'd better come upstairs.”

Reid’s unresponsive body was found on the floor with his eyes wide open. He died at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, the following day.

The mother told investigators she needed to send her toddler son to heaven to protect him from her demon-possessed family members.

Following assessments, it was found that Steele was severely mentally ill and was suffering from "psychotic depression" when she drowned her son in the bathtub, the court heard.

"It is a profound human tragedy that it was you, who loved him so dearly, that caused that loss of life,” Judge Michael Fitton QC said in court Tuesday, according to BBC. “I accept that you did so when you were suffering from a severe and serious mental illness."

“You were suffering from visual and auditory hallucinations and you were operating on the terrible mistake that your own family, who loved him as much as you, were out to harm him,” the judge added.

Reid’s family said their lives had been “changed forever” by the toddler’s death and released a statement following Tuesday's hearing.

“We will always have a piece missing from our family. Reid was the most loved, beautiful, funny, intelligent and loving little boy who touched the hearts of everyone he met,” the family said, according to Wales Online. “Natalie really was a wonderful mother…”

“As a family we unanimously agree that the judge’s decision today was the right one. Natalie will continue to receive the treatment she needs to hopefully, in time, get better,” the family added, as per the outlet. “Mental health conditions can sometimes be frightening, complicated, and, most importantly, not always visible until it is too late. But there is help out there. Please don’t be afraid to reach out.”