The justice system falls short again in protecting people with albinism.
A 28 year old man has been sent to prison for only 24 months after he made direct threats at his wife who is a person with albinism.
The state prosecutor, Patricio Philemon, told the court that the man is married to a woman with albinism.
“In early April, 2018, the man came home with a friend of Mozambican Nationality. Shockingly, the wife heard her husband telling his companion, ‘katundu uja ndameneyu’, referring to her.
“On April 18th, the husband was also heard telling someone on the phone that everything had been finalized and that the following night, the deal could materialize,” he said.
Philemon explained that this time the wife tried to grab the phone from her husband to see who was at the other end of the phone call but her effort proved futile as the husband firmly clung to it.
The wife started feeling insecure and instantly rushed to complain at Kanengo Police Station.
Police arrested the husband after five days as he had gone hiding after learning that his wife had reported the matter to police.
The man (Musonkho) was charged with uttering intimidation and insulting words, contrary to Section 88[1] [a] and 182 of the Penal Code respectively.
After he was found guilty, the state then pleaded for stiff punishment for the convict considering that as a husband, he was supposed to be a pillar for protection of his wife but he had turned to be the monster against his own wife.
Passing the sentence Friday, Senior Resident Magistrate Shyreen Yona concurred with the state’s plea for a stiff punishment by jailing Musonkho for 24 months IHL for the count of intimidation and two months IHL for the count of use of insulting language. The two jail terms will run concurrently.
