Husband of Richmond Hill woman stabbed to death charged with 1st-degree murder

The husband of a 41-year-old Richmond Hill woman who was fatally stabbed at their home has been charged with first-degree murder.

It was just after 7:45 p.m. on Wednesday when York Regional Police said emergency crews were called to the property on Bond Crescent, near Yonge Street and King Road.

The call to 911 was initially logged as an “unknown trouble” issue, but after officers arrived they found the victim, identified through court records as Alyaa Ali, dead at the scene.

The accused was taken into custody a short time later. He was taken to a hospital with what were described as non-life-threatening, self-inflicted stab or cut wounds.

Police said the couple’s four children, who are between the ages of nine and 19, were inside the home at the time. Officers said they weren’t physically injured.

The accused, 49-year-old Ahmed Rahman, made a video appearance in a Newmarket court from his hospital bed. As of Thursday evening, he remained in a hospital under police guard. Rahman was later scheduled to appear in court again on Tuesday.

Lorris Herenda, the executive director of Yellow Brick House — a facility for women and children in York Region who are abused, said there has been an increase of approximately 30 per cent in domestic violence throughout the course of the coronavirus pandemic.

She also said there has been a noticeable spike in calls to crisis support lines.

“It is devastating when we hear about a woman being murdered and to think that … in last night’s case the four children were witnessing this and this is something they are going to have to live with for the rest of their lives,” Herenda said.

Speaking generally about the situation in York Region, she said she has heard of abusers telling their victims that shelters aren’t safe because of COVID-19. However, Herenda encouraged people in dangerous situations to leave if possible.

“Your life is in danger. Our shelters are COVID-free, and we are safe, and we can assist you and your children,” she said.

“There’s a lot of fear-factoring going on, so women are literally feeling they have nowhere to go because of the pandemic. They are stuck at home, they are isolated at home with their abusers and sometimes they have even trouble getting (through) to the crisis line.”

While Yellow Brick House was full on Thursday, Herenda said thanks to increased provincial and federal government funding they have been able to find alternative accommodations for all women and children in need. However, she said more needs to be done to end domestic violence.

“We know that a woman is killed every six days in Canada and this number has not changed in the last two or three decades,” Herenda said.

“So clearly we haven’t done our work in terms of eradicating violence. We also know during the pandemic there has been an increase in homicides. Women are getting killed more frequently.”