Kitwe maid jailed 2 years for stealing babies

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babies at Chitokoloki Mission Hospital
babies

THE Kitwe Magistrate’s Court has sentenced an 18-year-old housemaid of Kabwe to two years simple imprisonment for stealing two children aged six months and six years.

 

Appearing before senior magistrate Daniel Musonda, the named girl of Butondo township in Kabwe pleaded guilty to two counts of child stealing.

 

Particulars of the offence are that on June 14, this year in Kitwe, the 18-year-old, who was employed as a maid at house number 135 Nkana East in Kitwe, stole Kennedy Simfukwe’s two children.

 

In passing the sentence, Mr Musonda said he took note that the accused is a first offender, who readily admitted the charge. He also said she is a young woman who needs to be given a second chance.

 

“The offence you are charged with is very serious and it attracts a minimum sentence of 14 years. However, I will be lenient with you.
“I sentence you to two years simple imprisonment in both counts and the sentences shall run at the same time,” Mr Musonda said.

 

Facts before the court are that on the material day, around 14:00 hours, Doreen Namfukwe, the mother of the two victims, went to have a bath, after which she discovered that her two children were not where she had left them.

 

Ms Namfukwe asked her neighbours whether they had seen the two children, and was told that the maid had run away with them.
After a search, the children were not found and the matter was reported to Nkana East Police Station.

 

The children were later found in Kabwe after police launched investigations. The six-year-old girl was picked up by a ‘Good Samaritan’, while the six-month-old boy was found with the convict.
In mitigation, the maid asked the court for leniency, saying that she wanted to go back to school.

 

“I ask for forgiveness from the court as well as the parents of the children. I promise never to repeat what I did. I want to go back to school so that I can become a better citizen,” she pleaded.

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