News / National
Boy, 6, has father arrested for severe torture
09 Jun 2016 at 06:56hrs | Views
A SIX-YEAR-OLD boy had to approach the police after suffering severe torture and assault at the hands of his father who accused him of bedwetting.
Plumtree magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa yesterday heard how between May and June this year, Tatjenama Dube, 33, would tie his son's hands and legs to a bicycle and leave him in that position for hours as punishment.
Dube of Nxele area and who works as a general hand at Plumtree Town Council, would on separate days whip his son all over the body and strike him with a knobkerrie on the head.
The matter came to light after the boy, who was staying with his father, step mother and siblings, reported the torture and assault at a nearby police station.
Dube was yesterday convicted on his own plea of guilty to physically abusing his son when he appeared before Ruvetsa.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison of which six months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within the period commit an offence of the same nature.
The remaining six months were suspended on condition that he performs 210 hours of community service at the Social Welfare Department offices stationed at the Plumtree Border Post.
"Physical abuse is a serious offence and in your case you struck a six-year-old child with a knobkerrie on the head among other harsh acts of abuse,'' said Ruvetsa as he passed his judgement.
In his defence, Dube told the court that he tied his son to a bicycle and whipped him in a bid to discipline him for bedwetting.
"I was beating him up because he was wetting the blankets. When I struck him with a knobkerrie on head it was because he had refused when I had assigned him to fetch my bicycle for me. I was in a hurry to go to work but he did not comply and that is why I beat him up,'' said Dube.
Prosecuting, Jane Phiri said Dube first assaulted his son in May and later assaulted him on June 1.
She said sometime during the month of May, Dube tied Norman's legs and hands to a bicycle and left him there after accusing him of bedwetting.
On May 13 around 7AM, Dube whipped Norman for wetting the blankets again. "On June 1 around 6AM, Dube retrieved a knobkerrie and struck his six-year-old son twice on the head,'' said Phiri.
She said the boy reported the matter to the police resulting in Dube's arrest.
The boy sustained multiple bruises all over the body as a result of the attacks.
Plumtree magistrate Gideon Ruvetsa yesterday heard how between May and June this year, Tatjenama Dube, 33, would tie his son's hands and legs to a bicycle and leave him in that position for hours as punishment.
Dube of Nxele area and who works as a general hand at Plumtree Town Council, would on separate days whip his son all over the body and strike him with a knobkerrie on the head.
The matter came to light after the boy, who was staying with his father, step mother and siblings, reported the torture and assault at a nearby police station.
Dube was yesterday convicted on his own plea of guilty to physically abusing his son when he appeared before Ruvetsa.
He was sentenced to 12 months in prison of which six months were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within the period commit an offence of the same nature.
The remaining six months were suspended on condition that he performs 210 hours of community service at the Social Welfare Department offices stationed at the Plumtree Border Post.
In his defence, Dube told the court that he tied his son to a bicycle and whipped him in a bid to discipline him for bedwetting.
"I was beating him up because he was wetting the blankets. When I struck him with a knobkerrie on head it was because he had refused when I had assigned him to fetch my bicycle for me. I was in a hurry to go to work but he did not comply and that is why I beat him up,'' said Dube.
Prosecuting, Jane Phiri said Dube first assaulted his son in May and later assaulted him on June 1.
She said sometime during the month of May, Dube tied Norman's legs and hands to a bicycle and left him there after accusing him of bedwetting.
On May 13 around 7AM, Dube whipped Norman for wetting the blankets again. "On June 1 around 6AM, Dube retrieved a knobkerrie and struck his six-year-old son twice on the head,'' said Phiri.
She said the boy reported the matter to the police resulting in Dube's arrest.
The boy sustained multiple bruises all over the body as a result of the attacks.
Source - chronicle
