Kentucky – In a horrifying case of domestic violence that has left Kentucky residents shaken, a 40-year-old mother, identified as Z. Abdi, stands accused of viciously attacking her 6-year-old daughter with a hammer, leaving the child with multiple skull fractures and life-threatening injuries. Abdi was arrested and formally charged with attempted murder with domestic violence after she struck her daughter “an unknown amount of times” in the head with a hammer.
According to an arrest affidavit from the police department, Abdi admitted to the brutal assault and told authorities that she often becomes “extremely angry” and struggles to control herself. The chilling confession came after a disturbing incident at their home, where officers responded at approximately 12:45 p.m. to reports of a child being struck in the head by her mother.
When first responders arrived at the home, they found the young girl inside suffering from blunt force trauma to the head. Emergency medical personnel immediately transported her to a children’s hospital, where doctors confirmed the child had sustained multiple skull fractures and brain bleeds. She was admitted in critical condition and remains hospitalized. The nature of the injuries was so severe that the department’s homicide unit was called to the scene to take over the investigation.
Police say Abdi struck her daughter multiple times with the hammer during a moment of rage, and a post-Miranda statement confirmed she acknowledged using the tool in the attack. She was taken into custody without further incident. According to authorities, the victim’s brother witnessed the entire assault and desperately tried to protect his sister from further harm. In his statement to police, the boy said that after he managed to restrain their mother, she pleaded, “Let me finish her,” in an apparent attempt to return and continue the attack. Officials have not released the son’s age, but his account played a crucial role in piecing together the horrifying sequence of events.
During her arraignment, Abdi appeared before a judge who imposed a strict no-contact order barring her from seeing or communicating with any of her children. Her bond was set at $500,000 cash, and her next court appearance is scheduled for June 30 at 9 a.m. As she stood before the court, visibly restrained and silent, the judge sternly reminded her, “You are to have no contact with any child. Do you understand that?” Abdi is currently being held at the detention center. If convicted, she could face decades in prison for the savage assault.
The violent nature of the incident has sparked outrage and disbelief among neighbors and local residents. A neighbor said the attack was hard to comprehend. “I think it’s just terrible,” he told local media. “I don’t know what kind of pressure the mother was under to do something like that.” Another neighbor described the news as nauseating. “It gave me cold chills,” she said. “I don’t understand how someone could get to that point of anger—especially with an innocent child.”
Authorities continue to investigate the circumstances surrounding the attack. Child protective services are expected to take an active role in the case moving forward. As the 6-year-old girl fights for her life in the hospital, the community watches with heavy hearts. Her brother’s courage may have saved her life, but the trauma both children endured may leave scars far deeper than the visible injuries. The case underscores the urgent need for better mental health support and child protection services—especially in situations where adults admit to uncontrollable rage that places innocent lives at risk.
