Police arrest woman for allegedly causing death of her two-year-old child

Police in Chingola district on the Copperbelt Province have apprehended a 28-year-old woman for allegedly causing the death of her two-year-old child after she gave him a suspected poisonous substance.

Assistant Public Relations Officer, Godfrey Chilabi, confirmed the arrest in a statement issued in Lusaka on Friday.

Chilabi said the incident occurred on June 14, 2023 around 20:00 hours at Nchanga North Hospital where the child identified as Kudakwasha Kafata was admitted after suffering a fractured leg.

He said Police received a report from Nchanga North Hospital that a woman had allegedly poisoned her child and immediately officers rushed to the hospital and picked up the suspect identified as Sara Kabaso of Mikloni Compound in Chingola.

“Initial investigations revealed that the child was admitted to Nchanga North Hospital on June 13, 2023 around 14:00 hours after he sustained a fractured leg,” Chilabi said.

He explained that on June 14, 2023, around 10:00 hours, her mother identified as Sara Kabaso who was on the bedside, was relieved by her aunt and she decided to go home but when she reached Chingola town center main bus station, she discovered that she had lost her transport money.

Chilabi said Ms. Kabaso then decided to go back to Nchanga North Hospital, and on her way, she met an adult female person who introduced herself as a clergywoman who prayed for her and gave her a bottle containing liquid substance.

“She advised her to go and give the substance to her sick baby, claiming it was anointing water and told her to administer it to the baby when no one else was seeing her. When she reached the hospital around 20:00 hours, she gave the said anointing water to the baby,” he said.

Chilabi said later on, when the nurse on duty was making rounds in the ward, she smelled something toxic and it was at this point that the nurse asked the mother of the baby, who then narrated what transpired.

He said the nurse tried to resuscitate the baby whose condition had deteriorated but to no avail.

“Police have instituted investigations into the matter and the body of the deceased child is lying in the same hospital mortuary awaiting postmortem and other forensic examinations,” Chilabi said.

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