A mother who was found dead alongside her severely disabled eight-year-old daughter killed the child before taking her own life, a coroner has concluded.
A Tragic Discovery in Salford
Emergency services discovered the bodies of 40-year-old Martina Karos and her daughter, Eleni Edwards, at their home in Kersal, Salford, on 23 September 2024. The authorities were alerted after Eleni failed to arrive at her school. Forced entry was made to the property, where the pair were found in a bedroom.
Area Coroner Peter Sigee delivered his findings this week at Bolton Coroner's Court, where the inquests into both deaths were held together. He ruled that Ms Karos died by suicide and that Eleni was unlawfully killed.
'Overwhelmed by Loneliness' Despite Support
In his conclusion, Mr Sigee stated that Martina Karos had deliberately created a situation where both she and her daughter were overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning. "Ms Karos was the sole parental carer for her eight-year-old daughter, who had profound physical and mental disabilities," he said.
He described Eleni as a happy child who was "very much loved and very well cared for" by her mother. However, he noted that despite a high level of quality support from family, friends, and professionals including GPs, mental health services, and social workers, Martina experienced "feelings of extreme loneliness and isolation which overwhelmed her."
The coroner found no failure in the care provided and stated the tragedy could not have been reasonably foreseen. Martina had consistently denied any thoughts of harming herself or Eleni in the period before their deaths, and her mental health was considered stable by her GP.
Background to a Heartbreaking Case
The inquest heard that Eleni was diagnosed with multiple conditions when she was just a few months old, which left her severely disabled. She was blind, non-verbal, and had very limited mobility, with Martina acting as her full-time carer.
Martina, a Polish-born translator and linguist, had a history of anxiety and depression and was prescribed antidepressants. Loved ones reported a "rapid decline" in her mental health at the end of 2023, when she began expressing suicidal thoughts.
This led to Eleni being placed under a child protection plan in January 2024 due to a perceived risk of emotional harm from her mother's low mood. A review conference for this plan was scheduled for the very day their bodies were discovered.
Lawyers involved stated that it could not be argued that any professional had caused or contributed to the deaths. Mr Sigee confirmed he would not be issuing a prevention of future deaths report in this case.
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