Dad ties son to tree, sjamboks him

A MAN from Bulilima who tied his five-year-old stepson to a tree and severely assaulted him using a stick until he sustained injuries all over the body has been sentenced to 36 months in prison.

The 40-year-old man from Dombodema area, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his stepson, pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza last week facing assault charges.

In passing sentence, Mr Mabeza said the five-year-old had given the court a vivid account of the ruthless assault that he suffered at the man's hands.

"You are sentenced to 36 months in prison of which 12 months are suspended on condition you do not commit a similar crime. You are sentenced to an effective 24 months in prison. You are his father and you were supposed to protect your son instead of abusing him. Your conduct also went beyond ordinary parental punishment,'' said the magistrate.

Prosecutor, Mr Tinashe Dzipe said the matter came to light when the five-year-old fled home.

The same man was also accused of raping his one-year-old daughter. Mr Mabeza acquitted him saying more investigations were supposed to be done as there was no evidence which linked him to the rape case.

It was the State's case that the man was left in the custody of three children, one of whom was his one-year-old daughter.

The court heard that the man would bath the girl and share his bedroom with her while his two other children were sleeping in another room. The court heard the man's wife left him with their three children in July last year because he threatened to chop off her head with an axe. In his defence to the assault charge, the man said he did not injure him but he was trying to discipline him only.

"I did not beat him but I was disciplining him," he said.