Woman jailed 10 months for dumping baby

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Machinga

A 20-Year-old woman has been sentenced to 10 months in jail for dumping a newborn in a river.

The Liwonde First Grade Magistrate court sentenced the woman, Samia Justice, after finding her guilty of endeavouring to conceal the birth of a child contrary to section 232 of the penal code.

CourtProsecutor Gift Kalamula of Nselema Police told the court that on 25 September Mr Kimu Milanzi, a chairperson for Mowere community policing forum. was tipped by some people that Samia Justice had aborted her pregnancy.

Upon receiving the information, Milanzi together with his two colleagues went to the house of the suspect and upon questioning her on the matter, Samia said she gave birth to a baby whom she dumped in a Sekhwe River.

The woman was taken to Chikweo Police Unit for further questioning and later to Machinga District hospital for examination.

Examination results confirmed that indeed the suspect had recently given birth.

On 27 September the body of the dumped child was found floating in Sekhwe river.

When taken before court, the woman pleaded guilty to the charge of concealing birth and was convicted on her own plea of guilty.

Kalamula asked the court to give a custodial sentence to the convict saying what she did is inhuman.

In her mitigation, the convict begged the court to be lenient with her since she committed the offence because the man who impregnated her denied responsibility.

First Grade Magistrate Johns Masula then sentenced the woman to 10 months imprisonment with hard labour.

Samia Justice hails from Michesi village, Traditional Authority Chikweo in Machinga district.