This archive report was first published on 8 August 2020.
On August 8, 2020, a woman was arrested at Matete village in Lugari constituency for allegedly burning her eight-year-old son's fingers with kerosene.
According to the victim, his mother had a history of physically abusing him, including using a hot iron rod to burn his back and burning cigarettes to inflict injuries.
“It was not the first time. She has used a hot iron rod to burn my back and sometimes she uses burning cigarette to inflict injuries on me,” the victim claimed.
Matete Sub-county Police Commander Moses Mang'eni confirmed the arrest and stated that the suspect would be arraigned in court after investigations.
The victim's grandfather, Jackton Mukongolo, expressed concern over the incident, stating that the boy's father works away from home and has neglected his son.
Agnes Jackton, the victim's grandmother, fears for the life of the boy, citing several attempts on his life by the mother.
Geoffrey Bakuli, a child rights activist from Urafiki Initiative, alerted the police after spotting the boy's severely burnt hands.
