THE Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has jailed a Zambia Air Force (ZAF) officer six years simple imprisonment for assaulting her 11-year-old niece.
Lusaka magistrate Nthandose Chabala found ZAF officer Mildred Luwaile guilty of assault on a child and convicted her accordingly.
The magistrate said after considering evidence on record, the prosecution have proved the case against Luwaile beyond reasonable doubt, adding that it was also well corroborated.
Luwaile on March 25, 2019 in Lusaka, assaulted her nice who is under the age of 16 and occasioned her actual bodily harm.
The niece had given a moving account on Oath on how Luwaile had on several occasions beaten her and burnt her body with hot objects.
But when placed on defence, Luwaile denied assaulting the victim, calling her a habitual liar with a tendency to fabricate stories.
She also denied burning the victim, explaining that she burnt herself after dropping a bucket of hot water as she was in the same room with her child.
Magistrate Chabala wondered why only the niece got burnt after the bucket of hot water allegedly fell as claimed by Luwaile when even her child was in the same room.
She said the girl’s evidence before court was corroborated by the medical report which was presented and other evidence from State witnesses such as the police.
Magistrate Chabala said Luwaile’s husband told the court that if the wounds were sustained outside the home, the wife would have told him that the girl was injured from outside the home.
“I find you Mildred Luwaili guilty as charged and convict you as charged,” she said.
Luwaile in her mitigation asked for leniency but magistrate Chabala sentenced her to six years simple imprisonment with effect from today.
