Attack in Broad Daylight
Natalie Queiroz was eight months pregnant with a baby girl when she was stabbed 24 times by her fiancé, Babur 'Bobby' Raja, in Sutton Coldfield town centre on March 4, 2016. The attack occurred at 3pm on a wet day as she headed to the shops, initially thinking she was being mugged.
Raja, then 41, attacked her from behind with a 12-inch carving knife, stabbing her repeatedly. Natalie told the BBC the assault was "incessant". She tried to shield her unborn child but suffered injuries to her heart, lungs, liver, wrist, and abdomen. Medics described it as "an execution" because he hit all her major organs.
Bystanders Intervene
Members of the public pulled Raja away, but he escaped and continued the attack as Natalie regained consciousness. She recalled: "I put my head down and he pulled up in front of me, and he crouched down and he began the attack again." Raja also injured the bystanders who tried to help.
Natalie was airlifted to Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, where an emergency C-section was performed alongside major surgery. Both she and her daughter survived, though they continue to live with trauma.
No Warning Signs
Natalie had no suspicions before the attack. Raja had been "relaxed and cuddling" her in bed and bought treats for midwives during a maternity visit. He admitted planning the attack for at least two weeks, keeping the knife and a rucksack with spare clothes in his car. He spoke to Natalie on the phone 20 minutes before, with her final words being "I love you."
Court Outcome
Raja pleaded guilty to attempted murder, attempted child destruction, possession of a knife in public, and wounding of two bystanders. The court heard he was forced to choose between his conservative Muslim mother's faith and the "love of his life", which "tipped him over the edge". He was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
