A Tanzanian court imposed the death penalty on a teacher following the fatal beating of a 13-year-old student, sparking renewed national scrutiny of corporal punishment in educational institutions.
The victim, Sperius Eradius, succumbed to injuries sustained in August 2019 after being assaulted by Respicius Mutazangira for allegedly stealing a teacher's handbag. Family members reported the boy's death occurred days after the incident.
Judge Lameck Mlacha of Bukoba's regional court ruled Mutazangira guilty beyond reasonable doubt of voluntary homicide. The teacher retains the right to appeal the verdict.
The boy's parents withheld his burial until authorities detained the educator and suspended the school principal. The case has drawn condemnation from human rights groups and intensified discussions about disciplinary practices in schools.
This ruling follows a 2016 incident where a girl was allegedly forced to remove her underwear before being caned by multiple teachers for absenteeism. Such practices remain permitted under Tanzania's 1979 law, which restricts corporal punishment to specific body parts and requires it be administered in a 'reasonable' manner for serious offenses.
Human Rights Watch documented widespread abuse in 2017, noting that school beatings often involve 'brutal and humiliating' methods. The organization urged the Tanzanian government to prohibit such punishments entirely.
