Four lives have been lost, a family drowned in disbelief, society in shock following the tragic death of 3 children and their mother at Messebe, in the Nkolbisson neighborhood in Yaounde.

A scene typical of a horror movie where a woman, who is generally considered the Mother of humanity, giver of life and protector, turns to be the author of the death of her own off springs. This is the perfect description of the unforseen tragedy that took place on Monday February 16, where Kevine, a young lady in her early thirties took life out of her 3 children; Bordeau 6-years-old, Gloria 4-years-old and Eden 1-year-old, because of marital problems.

Testimonies have it that the incident occurred at about 2pm at the Tchouwe’s residence when the lady had just taken her children from school, served them food that she poisoned and they all ate. The three children died immediately while Kevine resolved to committing suicide because the poison was slow to react in her body. With the help of a razor blade and a pair of scissors, the lady performed surgery on her hands and neck, leading to loss of blood consequently resulting to her death.

The immediate cause of this tragedy is attributed to the fact that her husband had embarked on a business trip to China without prior notification. This is the last drop of water that overflow the vase of the infidelity aspect of her husband. It was only when already in the plane that the husband informed her of his journey. A news which was ‘inadmissible’ to the woman who sent him a resounding reply of ‘he will never do what he did to her to another Woman’. A message that prompted the husband to call on his neighbors to do an inspection tour in his home, only for them to discover the lifeless bodies of his children and that of his agonizing wife on the floor.

The woman is said to have nurtured this feeling of suicide for over a year now as she, on several occasions, have voiced out her worries to family members and spouse about his infidelity, warning a time will come when she will no longer be able to ‘tolerate’. Little did they know that her menace were to come to pass on that faithful day.

Prior to the incident, several solutions had being proposed by acquaintances and family members on how she could handle the situation but it seemingly had no positive effect when applied. Overwhelmed with the notion of her husband’s infidelity, the mother of three could no longer bear the suffering and decided to put an end to her life as well as that of her children, victims of a situation they had no clue. They paid the price for the marital problems of their parents.

Alerted by neighbors about the incident, the forces of Law and order; the Police, the gendarmerie, the Divisional Officer of Yaounde VII and local traditional rulers rushed to the scene to take stock of the situation. The bodies of the deceased were taken to the nearest health center and investigations opened. Neither infidelity nor deception should ever drive a woman endowed with maternal love to commit such a deplorable act that drowns the Republic in horror. A woman, a mother, thinks first and foremost of the safety and survival of her offspring. Unfortunately, this was not the case of Kevine.

Government’s reaction

In a release made public on February 17, 2026, the Minister of Women’s Empowerment and the Family blatantly condemned the barbaric acts while urging the Cameroon people to be responsible and vigilant.

“The Minister, deeply shocked by this family drama, regrets all these babaric acts that undermine the life, dignity and fundamental rights of the human being in general and those of the child in particular.

While presenting her heartfelt condolences to the bereaved family, the Minister calls for the responsibility and vigilance of all so that no child is ever again a victim of infanticide. She reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the Government to ensure the protection of children and respect for human dignity” it read.

In an interview granted the National Television station, CRTV, the Minister encouraged those in distress to seek help from community as well as from administrative structures like her ministry to access its services for counseling, support, and assistance.

Hidden truths never told

The incident has since its occurrence set the internet on fire as there have been an influx of reactions, with people giving their own opinion on the matter. Artists and influencers vehemently condemned the act of murder and suicide, especially towards the innocent children.

Where the substance came from? no one knows. Why the woman killed her off springs and herself ? Only the deceased can provide answers to those questions – if only she was still alive. In many cases victims are afraid of voicing out their worries and situation because of the fear of stigmatization, what society will say. They turn to be silent and consequently die of this silence.

This incident brings back the question of how the society handles such cases of mental instability.

The occurring of this horrific act according to experts is termed ‘Filicide-suicide”. It is as a result of a psychological trauma.

In psychiatry and criminology, this is considered a distinct category of homicide-suicide because the motivations and psychological profiles of the perpetrators differ significantly from other forms of domestic violence. Motivations of this kind of suicide are numerous, the most common being Altruistic Filicide – where the parent often kill the child out of “love”- , Spousal Revenge – where a child is killed to maximize grief in the other partner- and Acute Psychosis where the parent acts under the influence of hallucinations or command delusions.

The countless times the lady has been complaining to society about the issue which has been affecting her for long, making her feel depressed, what had been the response to her plea? Was the society able to refer her to a psychologist or a sociologist for proper orientation and follow-up? Or they rather opted for the usual say “that is how men are, what will we do?”.

Landlady of the mini cite where they lived, built by her husband fondly called “le chinois” because of his numerous business trips to China, Kevine before committing the terrible act is said to have voice out some last words to witnesses complaining of how badly she was treated by her spouse and how she was drowning in depths. The viral audio of her sister in-law contradicts the situation. She says the deceased usually received a monthly allowance of 150,000frs and was owner of a hair salon and a boutique which permitted her to sustain herself. The question still remains, what was the real cause of this deplorable act. A mystery which is still to be unveiled.

What to know about depression

Depression is a common mental health condition that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and changes in how one thinks, sleep, eat and act. It is normal to feel sad about or grieve over difficult life situations, such as losing your job or a divorce. But depression is different in that it persists practically every day for at least two weeks and involves other symptoms than sadness alone. Several types of depression exists notably Clinical depression, or major depressive disorder which is the most severe type of depression. Added to the feeling of sadness equally comes loss of appetite, insomnia and lack of interest.

Without treatment, depression can get worse and last longer. In severe cases, it can lead to self-harm or death by suicide, just like in the present case.

Reports have it that there has been a 16.9% increase in the mental health crises cases in Cameroon between the year 2024-2025, and the rate of deaths by suicide has witnessed a 7.5% increase over the years from the 33% that was recorded in 2019.

One thing worth noting is that Depression is treatable — usually with talk therapy, medication or both. Seeking medical help as soon as symptoms are glaring is essential. Most people especially women die silently because of the fear of being judged or mocked when they talk of their mental state of mind. This accounts for the main reasons why cases of suicide are on the rise because nothing is said, nothing is heard and subsequently no response is provided.

This is the part where society has a role to play. The detection, control and orientation of persons suffering from such state of being is very crucial for their survival of as well as that of their entourage. Society is called to be supportive. Something which Kevine did not apparently have.

Imagine a scene where Kevine had received help from family members, society, friends and services dealing with mental health issues, at that critical point in her life when she began complaining, there would certainly have not come a day when she would have resolved to take away her life as well as that of her children to prove a point to someone. The three children would have continued living, continuing their education and grow up to being successful like other kids. Life had a plan for the little angels not knowing their mother had a different plan for them.

This incident as well as that of Doctor Falla Paye in 2021- who equally killed himself alongside his three children – is a clear indication of the bitter reality of the fact that Mental health, trauma and depression are very deadly feelings that needs the attention of everyone at his/her own level such that homes and families be preserved, lives saved and society protected.