Mother Sentenced 5 Years For Burning Daughter's Hands

Mrs Nsongwe and her daughter before the arrest

By Paul Shalala in Kapiri Mposhi

The Kapiri Mposhi Magistrate's court has sentenced a 34 year old mother of Material Compound to five years imprisonment with hard labour for burning the hands of her seven year old daughter over sweet potatoes.

Kapiri Mposhi Resident Magistrate Axion Mumba sentenced Doreen Nsongwe after he found her guilty of burning her daughter's hands with hot charcoal after she ate sweet potatoes at a neighbour's house.

Magistrate Mumba described Mrs Nsongwe's action as barbaric.

He added that, as a mother, the defendant shouldn't have done what she did.

In her mitigation on Tuesday, Mrs Nsongwe said she was just punishing her child and asked the court for forgiveness adding that she looks after many children.

Mrs Nsongwe is expected to be transferred to Mukobeko Maximum Security Prison in Kabwe where she is expected to serve her sentence.

The burnt child, Lillian Nsongwe, is a Grade One pupil at Material Primary School within Kapiri Mposhi.

Lillian was burnt on Thursday last week.

The case was reported to the Police by Mrs Nsongwe's husband who is the child's stepfather.

During the woman's arrest on Monday, her neighbours wailed uncontrollably as she was led away to the Kapiri Mposhi Police Station.

Her daughter was also taken away by the District Social Welfare Office who are looking into her plight.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This blogger also did a TV report on the same story which aired on TV1's Morning Live program on 16 February, 2016. The story can be watched here: Kapiri Mposhi Mother Sentenced