A 25 year old woman from Serenje has been sentenced to five years imprisonment for assaulting her eight-year-old daughter.
Mirriam Musonda of Zambia township wailed uncontrollably outside the Serenje Magistrate’s Court after she was convicted.Musonda is on February 21, this year, alleged to have burnt her daughter’s hand on a brazier thereby occasioning bodily harm.
Before delivering judgment, magistrate Fidelis Ngosa described Musonda as a ‘heartless’ mother.
The juvenile testified that on February 20, this year, she asked her mother for money as she wanted to procure school books but that the latter refused.
The girl told the court that this prompted her to enter her mother’s bedroom and got a K5.00 to buy books.The juvenile further told the court that when her mother discovered about the missing money, she confronted the victim, who admitted to the offence.
The girl told the court that Musonda got incensed and burnt her right hand on a brazier.
“I shouted for help and I run to my aunt’s [late father’s sister’s] house, and my aunt and uncle then confronted my mother,” she said.But Musonda pleaded not guilty to the offence.
Musonda told the court that her daughter fell on the brazier as she tried to escape to her aunt’s house.
A medical report from Serenje district hospital certified that the juvenile sustained 20 percent burns on her right hand.In her mitigation, Musonda said she has a baby adding that she looks after orphans.
“I have a baby and prison conditions are not good for a child. I ‘m sorry for committing this offence,” Musonda said.However Magistrate Ngosa, told Musonda that her actions are inhuman.
“It is unthinkable that a mother can burn the hands of her daughter over a missing K5.00,” Mr Ngosa said.
Mr Ngosa said the court has a responsibility to protect children.
Unfortunately Mirriam Musonda ….the magistrates hands are tied. The penalty is steep..almost like manslaughter. Two years could have taught you a lesson but five is steep. Quick recovery to the girl.
The child stole, and people are sweeping that under the carpet?
if she didn’t steal no offence happens
I don’t feel sorry for the child
Thanks
I do not sympathise with this woman. The child stole out of need to buy books so she could learn and better herself.
How ever, the judge was too hash on the woman. 6 months sentence , to serve three and then three suspended for six months would have been appropriate.
If it was a PF prominent member the sentence would have been suspended or quashed altogether. The Livingstone MP ran over and killed a child in Kafue , and got away scot free. The family was told they will be paid money which they never got up to now. Shame on PF Judiciary system.
This what I mean when I say PF perpetrates selective justice.
Blame the government for not putting in place measures to help desparet parents like this one.
Eish, You are safer killing with a very expensive gun, using sophisticated burning equipment or stealing billions, as the sentences for small offences or inferior stuff are too severe. Don’t condone what she did but some famous people from Kafue shot there wives dead and just got two years at the most. The Courts are weird at the least
She stole and bought school books! What a dilemma. However, what a penalty! It is almost like some cultural ritual of cutting off the body part that erred. No, Mirriam, not in this civilized world. One year for each Kwacha lost! What a cheapskate you are!!! Ngena Iwe, mwana tizasunga kunja kuno…
Quite a bunch of self styled moralists on this site! We’ll soon have another Fred M’membe on LT when they also start quoting the Bible and Quran.
…nice try…if it was Oscar Pretorius who gave such an explanation, he could have been acquitted right away…the same explanation given by an uneducated, not known village dweller with no mansion to sell to pay for a legal process….she gets 5 yrs…
However, children at that age rarely lie…that atrocity of an act could have been committed..as the saying goes…if in a village you have a woman for a witch, the entire village is at risk of extermination…..
1 to 2 years could have done the trick….5yrs..???
Question is who is now going to take care of all the children including the very poor child victim whose hand was burnt? Yes the lady is probably guilty and should be punished but 5 years? The legal system in Zambia must have a human face at times, there are other ways to see that this BanaMusonda is punished one such is community service and seeing to it that the family are regularly visited by the Victim Support Unit of the Police service. If on the other hand the relatives of this poor child and the other dependents are truelly willing and capable of taking up the responsibility of looking after them then by all means it would be best for the lady to be punished with a custodial sentence taking into consideration other guardians will look after the children.
justice is for the rich.