An Uzbek nanny who was arrested in Moscow after walking on the streets carrying a child's severed head said in court on Wednesday that “Allah ordered” the killing. Dubbed “the bloody nanny” by the Russian media, Gyulchekhra Bobokulova is accused of decapitating a four-year-old girl, who suffered from learning disabilities and epilepsy. The woman then reportedly set the girl's home on fire before fleeing the scene. She was sent for psychiatric tests after being taken into custody, AFP reported.

Speaking in broken Russian in court, the 38-year-old said, “Allah is sending a second prophet to give news of peace.” Russian daily Moskovsky Komsomolets, quoting Uzbek police, said the woman was suffering from schizophrenia for around 15 years. Investigator Olga Lapteva said Bobokulova was suspected of committing an “extremely serious crime” that warranted “a mandatory prison sentence of considerably more than three years”. The court confirmed her arrest and two-month-long custody, as the investigation continues and authorities ascertain whether she had any accomplices.