Boy bleeds to death after getting circumcised

A 13 year-old boy on Monday bled to death at an initiation camp in Kasungu after being circumcised during a traditional ceremony, Police say.

Police public relations officer for Kasungu district Edna Mzingwitsa said the young boy who has been identified as Julius Saniet died five days after being circumcised.

Mzingwitsa said Saniet and four other young boys were taken to the camp for a coming of age cultural circumcision on 17th July. But soon after having his foreskin cut, the young boy developed a fever and his parents were told to send extra beddings.

“That was on Sunday 24 July 2016, and on 25 July the child was reported dead. The caretaker took the dead body to his home where other villagers collected it but currently the circumciser is at large,” Mzingwitsa said.

She added that when the police received a report, they visited the village together with medical personnel who conducted a post-mortem.

The results of the post-mortem showed that the boy died due to severe loss of blood and a septic wound. Meanwhile police have intensified investigations to trace the circumciser.

Julius Sainet hailed from Chikumbu village, Traditional Authority Wimbe in Kasungu district.