A man in Leicester is believed to have killed his former partner and two young children before taking his own life.
The bodies of 24-year old Joy Small and her son and daughter – Aubarr Aziz, three, and Chanarra, two, were found at a flat in Jersey Road, Leicester the day after the body of Ms Small’s former partner Aram Abdul Razaq Aziz, 32, was found in park two miles away.
Police said they were treating the deaths of the women and children as suspicious, and confirmed they had previously been involved with the couple.
Friends of the victims said Mr Aziz was an “abusive monster” and that Ms Small had installed a panic button in her flat because of her fear of him.
A spokesman for Leicestershire Police said: “Officers are investigating the circumstances that led to the deaths of all four. No causes of death have been established at present.
“The deaths of the woman and children are being treated as suspicious. Inquiries are at an early stage, but officers are not looking for anyone else at this time.”
Ms Small’s friend Jennie Bland, 27, said the couple had previously split up, before getting back together.
She said: “We fell out because she got back with him. I couldn’t just sit back and let it happen, I should have just gone on my instincts and told the police and social services.”
Miss Bland said: “I knew what he was like, I met him a few times, he didn’t like me because Joy could be herself when she was around me. She got back with him after being so strong after he poured petrol on her and tried to set her alight.
“She can rest in peace, she is finally away from him and so are the children.” Friend of Joy Small
“He beat her all the time, the time he poured petrol on her he threw a mirror at her son. He tried to stop her seeing her friends, that’s why he didn’t like me. He was an abusive monster.”
She said: “She can rest in peace, she is finally away from him and so are the children.”
She said Ms Small had ended the relationship and sought help from police, including getting a panic button installed – but had gone back to Aziz in November.
The police confirmed they had been involved with the couple in the past, and said there had been contact with the police watchdog, the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC), over whether the case should be referred to them.
But an IPCC spokeswoman said: “The IPCC has had contact from Leicestershire Police but based on the information available at the moment the case does not need to be formally referred. Should any further information come to light during the course of inquiries it should be referred to the IPCC as appropriate.”
Post mortems are being carried out on the bodies.