Woman’s Harrowing Escape from Abusive Husband and Search for Son After He Was Taken by Serial Killer Ex Goes Viral

Lobna Yakout, the ex-wife of a convicted serial killer from Egypt, is speaking out about the abuse she endured during their marriage and the trauma of discovering the horrific crimes her former husband committed. Karim Selim, who was convicted in August for murdering and torturing several women, has been dubbed the “New Cairo Serial Killer” by local media.

He was arrested for his gruesome actions, which included the sexual abuse and murder of three women between November 2023 and May 2024. Yakout, 33, has been living in the U.K. since 2022 after fleeing Cairo, where she had lived with Karim and their son Zayn.

The couple married in 2014, and Yakout left Karim in 2020 after years of enduring physical and emotional abuse. She claims that he “nearly killed me many times,” but Egyptian law, which at the time did not criminalize domestic violence, prevented her from filing charges.

Speaking with People, After separating from Karim in 2020, Yakout moved with Zayn to a new home in Cairo, but Karim’s threats continued. In 2021, after what was supposed to be a short visit between Zayn and his father, Yakout claims that her son was not returned to her. She has not seen him since.

Recalling their final conversation, Yakout says, “I told him, ‘If you’re taken from me, find me.’ That’s the last thing I said to him.” Despite her best efforts, Yakout was forced to flee Cairo in 2022 after Karim threatened her again, even waiting outside her residence with a knife for four days.

Disguised, she escaped to the U.K. But her journey did not end there. In May 2024, Yakout received a call from Egyptian investigators informing her that Karim had been arrested for the murders of three women. Initially, she didn’t believe it.

“I thought he set it up because he just wanted to find me,” she says. But soon, she learned from the media about his crimes. “Me and my mum, we were shaken,” Yakout recalls. “It was madness.” Now, Yakout’s search for her son continues.

She believes Zayn was handed over to Karim’s mother after his arrest, but authorities have not helped her locate him. “I haven’t received any assistance from authorities,” Yakout says. Desperate, she has launched a GoFundMe and posted videos on TikTok to raise awareness.

Despite the ongoing search, Yakout remains hopeful. She plans to take Zayn to the beach once they’re reunited, saying, “That’s our thing, we love the beach.” Reflecting on a cherished memory, she recalls Zayn asking for balloons before their last outing together.

“It was all his idea,” she says with a smile. “He loves to make friends and he loves to be social.” Yakout’s fight to find her son and heal from her past continues, as she remains determined to reunite with Zayn after more than three years apart.