News / Regional
Abusive stepfather imprisoned for one year
29 Jan 2012 at 09:18hrs | Views
AN abusive stepfather from Tsholotsho will languish in jail for a year with hard labour after he severely assaulted his one-year-old stepdaughter until she broke her leg.
The stepfather, Bhekimpilo Mlalazi (26) of Manzimahle line, pleaded not guilty to the offence but was convicted after the court found overwhelming evidence against him.
Mlalazi appeared before Tsholotsho provincial magistrate, Mr Toindepi Zhou for physically abusing his stepdaughter.
The court through the prosecutor, Mr Fritz Madida, heard that on 25 April last year the accused, Mlalazi, was left with the stepdaughter when the mother went to the garden.
He took advantage of the absence of the minor's mother and took an unknown object which he used to heartlessly assault the one-year-old toddler until she sustained a fracture on the thigh.
After committing the horrendous act, the man disappeared.
It is the State case that when the child's mother came back from the garden she found her crying and writhing in agony.
To make matters worse the hapless minor was no longer talking due to the injuries she sustained.
The mother went to report the matter to Tsholotsho police leading to the arrest of her husband.
The badly injured minor was taken to hospital for medical examination.
During cross examination the tearful mother told the court that her husband used to take care of the child before he suddenly "turned into a monster."
The mother further said the relationship between her husband and the child had turned sour prior to this incident.
In mitigation, the man pleaded with the court to give him a non-custodial sentence so that he could take care of his pregnant wife.
His plea, however, fell on deaf ears after the court sentenced him to one-year in prison with hard labour saying the offence that he committed showed that he was a cruel person and a custodial sentence was most appropriate for him to reform.
The stepfather, Bhekimpilo Mlalazi (26) of Manzimahle line, pleaded not guilty to the offence but was convicted after the court found overwhelming evidence against him.
Mlalazi appeared before Tsholotsho provincial magistrate, Mr Toindepi Zhou for physically abusing his stepdaughter.
The court through the prosecutor, Mr Fritz Madida, heard that on 25 April last year the accused, Mlalazi, was left with the stepdaughter when the mother went to the garden.
He took advantage of the absence of the minor's mother and took an unknown object which he used to heartlessly assault the one-year-old toddler until she sustained a fracture on the thigh.
After committing the horrendous act, the man disappeared.
It is the State case that when the child's mother came back from the garden she found her crying and writhing in agony.
To make matters worse the hapless minor was no longer talking due to the injuries she sustained.
The mother went to report the matter to Tsholotsho police leading to the arrest of her husband.
The badly injured minor was taken to hospital for medical examination.
During cross examination the tearful mother told the court that her husband used to take care of the child before he suddenly "turned into a monster."
The mother further said the relationship between her husband and the child had turned sour prior to this incident.
In mitigation, the man pleaded with the court to give him a non-custodial sentence so that he could take care of his pregnant wife.
His plea, however, fell on deaf ears after the court sentenced him to one-year in prison with hard labour saying the offence that he committed showed that he was a cruel person and a custodial sentence was most appropriate for him to reform.
Source - SN
