A YOUNG mum stabbed to death in front of her six-year-old daughter has been named as Rebecca Sessacar.
Bulent Sessacar, the 25-year-old's husband, who has been arrested on suspicion of murder, was taken from the house on a stretcher and rushed to hospital, where he remains in a stable condition.
Police were called to Duppas Court, a block of flats on Duppas Hill Terrace, at 3.20pm last Thursday after neighbours reported screaming and shouting coming from the couple's ground-floor home.
Officers knocked on their door but received no answer. They questioned Mrs Sessacar's neighbours before leaving.
Ten minutes later they returned with a battering ram and forced entry into the couple's flat.
Kurunanithy Mukunthan, 33, who lives in the same block, saw the couple's daughter leave the flat.
He told the Advertiser: "She came out a few moments after they had broken down the door. She had blood on her clothes and was holding a teddy bear. She was shaking and looked very frightened. Within a few seconds she had been taken away by one of the police officers."
Croydon Council has taken the girl into emergency foster care.
Mr Sessacar, 28, a personal trainer, was taken out of the flat on a stretcher about two hours later.
His wife was pronounced dead at the scene. Her body was removed from the flat several hours later.
Police believe she was killed between 10am and 3pm. Her daughter, who goes to Parish Church CofE Nursery and Infants, in nearby Warrington Road, did not attend school on the day of the killing.
A post-mortem examination gave Mrs Sessacar's cause of death as multiple stab wounds.
She worked at Asda, Wallington, while training to be a teaching assistant at Aerodrome Primary School in Waddon.
Nick Harris, manager of the Asda store, in Marlow Way, said: "Our store is shocked and saddened by the news of Rebecca's death.
"She was a valued member of the team and will be greatly missed. Our thoughts are with her family."
Mr Mukunthan described his neighbour as a "lovely, friendly person".
He added: "Whenever we saw her she would smile and say hello. She was really nice, very friendly.
"When my wife and I were looking for a school for our daughter, she brought us an application for Parish Church.
"A while ago Rebecca had a trampoline on the grass outside the flats. She dropped notes through all the doors saying that other children were welcome to use it.
"My wife saw her on Wednesday and said she was fine. They were talking and laughing together. Everything seemed OK."
The murder investigation is being led by Detective Chief Inspector Russell Taylor from the Homicide and Serious Crime Command.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the incident room on 020 8721 4868 or call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
