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A Mongu high court has sentenced a 20 year -old woman of Mckilope compound in Sesheke district to 18 months imprisonment for dumping a toddler in a pit latrine.
Facts before court were that on 30th March, 2012 Mwaka Mabuku gave birth to a healthy baby boy and threw it in a pit latrine because the father to the child denied responsibility.
The court heard that Mabuku was hiding her pregnancy by the mode of dressing from the time she conceived because the father to the baby was not ready for it.
On the material day the culprit wrapped a baby into a polythene bag after giving birth and threw it in a pit latrine .
The court heard that a pass-by heard a baby crying and that someone by the name of Morris Kazhiko volunteered to retrieve the baby from the pit latrine and was rushed to Yeta district hospital.
And the court noted that the suspect was later apprehended by police and was examined at Yeta hospital where results established that she had recently delivered.
Mabuku was charged with attempted murder which was later reduced to causing grievous bodily harm contrary to section 229 of the penal code CAP.87 of the laws of Zambia.
But Mabuku whilst in Mongu central prison reconciled with her baby and refused to hand it over to the social welfare.
In mitigation, the convict pleaded guilty and told the court that she acted that way out of desperation because the father of the baby denied responsibility and that her balance of mind was disturbed after having just given birth.
Mabuku asked the court to exercise maximum leniency as she was the first offender.
However, Mongu High Court Judge Petronella Nyambe said she was saddened with the inhuman act perpetrated by some mothers who should instead have a heart for vulnerable babies and that the vice was on the increase in the country.
The Judge advised the convict to go back to school after serving the jail sentence in order to sustain her living and slapped her with 18 months jail sentence as a deterrent to would be –offenders.
