The Kasungu First Grade Magistrate Court has sentenced a 26-year-old man to 3 years in jail for forcing his 3-year-old stepdaughter to eat feaces.
The suspect has been identified as Hickson Banda.
According to Kasungu Police Station Sergeant Miracle Mkozi, on April 22, 2020 the mother of the child left the child with her stepfather and went to a maize mill.
Mkozi added that whilst the mother was at the maize mill, the child defecated and this annoyed Hickson Banda.
He then forced the child to eat her own feaces.
“Upon returning from the maize mill, the mother found her daughter with feaces on her mouth and after asking her the child revealed that it was her stepfather who had forced her to eat feaces,” she said
Appearing before court, Banda pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawfully administering poison contrary to section 240 of the penal code.
In his submission, Police Prosecutor Sergeant Bonex Banda described Banda’s behaviour as wicked and inhumane.
The prosecutor wondered as to how could a sane person do such a thing to a child under his care.
He then prayed for a stiff sentence on Hickson Banda for others to learn a lesson and deter them from committing the same.
Passing sentence, First Grade Magistrate Damiano Banda described Hickson Banda’s behaviour as strange and a threat to the society. He then slapped him with a three-year jail term.
Hickson Banda hails from Kwengwere village, traditional authority Mwase in Kasungu District.
