By Chimwemwe Njoloma
Lilongwe, July 15, Mana: The Lilongwe Magistrate court has sentenced a 25 year old man to 12 years Imprisonment with Hard Labour (IHL) for wounding his two year old step son.
Lingadzi Police Public Relations Officer, Salome Zgambo, confirmed the incident and identified the convict as Shupi Mitambo.
Mitambo was charged for acts intended to cause grievous harm contrary to Section 235 (a) of the Penal Code.
State Prosecutor Inspector Grace Mafosha told the court on June 27, 2020 that the accused beat up the step son for mixing cooked beans with nsima.
Mafosha narrated to the court that the victim’s mother prepared nsima for her husband and left for other chores leaving the child inside the house.
According to Mafosha, when the husband entered into the house, he found that the child had mixed Nsima with the only remaining beans in the pot. This angered the accused person who in return bet up the kid severely.
The court heard that Mitambo threatened his wife not to tell anyone about the incident and if she dared to disclose to anyone, he would also beat her up.
Mafosha told the court that police gathered information that this was not the first time the accused had done such a barbaric act to the step son.
She told the court that the accused used to beat up the boy and refuse to take him to the hospital but rather rubbing the victim’s wounds with salt for fear of being arrested.
She said well wishers reported the matter to police after noticing that the child was badly hurt.
According to Mafosha, apart from being beaten, the child was also scalded with hot water on his left leg.
The state, therefore, pleaded with the court to give the convict a stiffer punishment to deter other would-be offenders.
In mitigation, Mitambo told the court that he realized his mistakes and that he had learnt a lesson.
He pleaded with the court for leniency because he was a first offender and that he did not waste court’s time.
In passing judgement, First Grade Magistrate Shaireen Chirwa concurred with the state that the act of the convict was not to instill good deeds to the child, but rather to kill saying a lot of children are facing different kinds of abuses by their step parents.
The magistrate said the convict was supposed to protect the child without considering whether he is his biological child or not, hence convicting him to 12 years IHL.
The convict Mitambo, hails from Ndaona Village in Traditional Authority (TA) Dambo in Neno district.
