Court acquittal in assault case involving 96-year-old woman sparks public outrage

Members of the public in Machinga have expressed disappointment over a court ruling that acquitted a young man accused of assaulting a 96-year-old woman after alleging that she practised witchcraft.

The case involved Maggie Tenesi of Fidesi Village under Senior Chief Chamba, who was reportedly attacked by the suspect following the death of a child from the same village.

Community members, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the young man accused the elderly woman of being responsible for the child’s death. They claim he first attempted to attack her during the child’s funeral, but was restrained by villagers.

According to the community members, the suspect later returned that night, allegedly broke into Tenesi’s house while she was asleep and struck her on the head with a weapon, causing injuries.

The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to his arrest.However, when the case was heard in February this year, Second Grade Magistrate Austin Kamanga reportedly ruled that the accused had no case to answer and acquitted him.

The decision has sparked concern among some community members, who say they expected the matter to proceed to full trial.“We want justice to be seen in this matter because we believe there was misconduct,” said one of the concerned residents.

The community has since appealed to organisations that champion women’s rights, including the Women Lawyers Association, to intervene and help pursue justice for the elderly woman.