Court grapples with case of mentally unsound man, 90, who killed his wife in 'overwhelmingly lethal' attack

On August 3, a court in Singapore heard a case involving an 88-year-old man, Ridawi Morsudin, who killed his 74-year-old wife in a lethal attack. The woman was discovered by her grandson with severe injuries, including a deep wound from her jaw to her chest, 34 injuries from a sharp object, and fractures in her skull, neck, spine, and ribs.

Ridawi, who was suffering from dementia and delirium, was bedridden and unfit to plead in court. The incident is believed to be the first case of its kind since amendments to the law relating to criminals with unsound minds came into effect in February 2025. Ridawi lived with his wife and grandson, and his mental faculties began deteriorating in 2022.

He became hot-tempered, lost, and wandered out of the flat. The police had attended to him 10 times for these issues. In early 2024, Ridawi was admitted to a hospital due to confusion and was diagnosed with mixed dementia. He was enrolled at a daycare center for dementia patients for a month but was discharged after becoming uncooperative.

Ridawi's children set up a meal delivery roster for him, and a CCTV camera was installed in their living room. On June 4, Ridawi's 26-year-old grandson saw his grandmother motionless on the floor and his grandfather standing nearby. He called for help, and Ridawi confessed to the murder in Malay when questioned. The victim's blood and DNA were found on various items in the house, and a bloodstain pattern analysis suggested an attack occurred while she was on the sofa.

Ridawi was charged and found unfit to plead due to his major neurocognitive disorder and possible delirium.