Sisters found bound together in New York river 'committed suicide' fearing return to Saudi Arabia
Sisters found bound together in New York river 'committed suicide' fearing return to Saudi Arabia
US medical examiners have concluded that two Saudi sisters found dead in New York's Hudson River had killed themselves.
2 min read
Tala [L] and Rotana Farea [R] had stayed in Manhattan since September 1 [NYPD]
Two Saudi sisters whose bodies were found mysteriously
bound together in a New York waterfront in October killed themselves, medical examiners have concluded.
Tala Farea, 16, and Rotana Farea, 23, "bound themselves together before descending into the Hudson River", Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Barbara Sampson said in a statement on Tuesday. The cause of death was drowning.
Their fully clothed bodies were discovered on 24 October near the river, two months after they were last seen in Fairfax, Virginia, where they had been living in a shelter amid allegations that they were abused at home.
Police said the sisters had been in Manhattan since 1 September, staying at expensive hotels and ordering meals until a credit card they were using maxed out. A jogger said he saw them praying at a playground near the river, sitting about 30 feet (9 metres) apart with their heads in their hands, hours before their bodies were found, police said.
The Farea sisters' deaths drew attention to the secretive and risky journeys some Saudi women take to flee their homes in the kingdom and abroad.
Under the kingdom's guardianship system, women must have the approval of a male relative - such as a father, husband, brother, or even a son - to marry, obtain a passport or travel.
The Farea sisters' deaths drew attention to the secretive and risky journeys some Saudi women take to flee their homes in the kingdom and abroad.
Under the kingdom's guardianship system, women must have the approval of a male relative - such as a father, husband, brother, or even a son - to marry, obtain a passport or travel.
New York City Police Chief of Detectives Dermot Shea said people who knew the Farea sisters in Virginia told investigators that they made statements within the last year indicating "that they would rather inflict harm on themselves - commit suicide - than return to Saudi Arabia".
Tala and Rotana moved to the US from Saudi Arabia with their mother in 2015, settling in Fairfax, a suburb of Washington DC.
Rotana was enrolled at George Mason University, but left in the spring.
The sisters left their family home and were placed in a shelter after an earlier disappearance in December 2017, according to police.
More In News
