News / National
Maid fatally scalds toddler
20 Apr 2017 at 06:46hrs | Views
A 20-YEAR-OLD Harare maid, who left a bucket full of hot water unattended resulting in it spilling and scalding to death her employer's two-year-old child, was yesterday jailed for five years.
Vaidah Nzanga will serve three years after Harare magistrate Hosiah Mujaya suspended two years on condition of good behaviour.
In his ruling, Mujaya said Nzanga showed a high degree of negligence after working as a maid and staying with different minors for five years.
"The degree of negligence is high and sentencing you to a non-custodial term will set a wrong precedent, as the minor's life was lost in this gross negligence," he said.
Nzanga apologised to the family in court, saying it was an accident and she did not leave the bucket full of hot water intentionally.
The State said on March 13 at around 5pm, Nzanga and the now-deceased Tanaka Chimusaru were at home. Nzanga took a 10-litre bucket full of hot water intending to use it for bathing, but left it in the passage to attend to the door.
The court heard while she was closing the door, the minor ran through the passage and hit the bucket and the water spilled onto his whole body severely scalding him.
The minor was then rushed to Mbuya Dorcas Hospital for treatment, where he died on March 15. The body was taken to Harare Central Hospital mortuary, where a doctor established that the death was due to severe burns on the whole body.
George Manokore was representing the State.
Vaidah Nzanga will serve three years after Harare magistrate Hosiah Mujaya suspended two years on condition of good behaviour.
In his ruling, Mujaya said Nzanga showed a high degree of negligence after working as a maid and staying with different minors for five years.
"The degree of negligence is high and sentencing you to a non-custodial term will set a wrong precedent, as the minor's life was lost in this gross negligence," he said.
The State said on March 13 at around 5pm, Nzanga and the now-deceased Tanaka Chimusaru were at home. Nzanga took a 10-litre bucket full of hot water intending to use it for bathing, but left it in the passage to attend to the door.
The court heard while she was closing the door, the minor ran through the passage and hit the bucket and the water spilled onto his whole body severely scalding him.
The minor was then rushed to Mbuya Dorcas Hospital for treatment, where he died on March 15. The body was taken to Harare Central Hospital mortuary, where a doctor established that the death was due to severe burns on the whole body.
George Manokore was representing the State.
Source - newsday
