Mob justice is rampant in this country
* It was such a horrifying and abhorrent act as the child cries out from the whipping he was receiving
* To shut him up, one of the punishers forced him to gnaw away the fresh maize from its cob he allegedly stole
By Duncan Mlanjira
A video clip posted on Facebook — that shows some unidentified people mercilessly assaulting a child and forcing him to eat fresh maize he allegedly was caught stealing — has left members of the public in horror at the extent of the punishment.
Advertisement
It was such a horrifying and abhorrent act as the child cries out from the whipping he was receiving and to shut him up, one of the punishers forced him to gnaw away the fresh maize from its cob.
He was not even given chance to first chew the maize and swallow but was forced to gnaw it till his mouth was too full and then told to swallow even before before being given chance to chew.
The act was so gruesome such that several people who watched it commented that they couldn’t watch it to the end.
Onlookers were heard cheering the punishers without anyone trying to intervene up to the end of the video clip, which Maravi Express shared with the police to investigate where the act took place.
Advertisement
The majority of the commentators on the Facebook post were so incensed with fury while suggesting that the law should take its course on the culprits as two wrongs don’t make it right.
Wisdom Sankara Kamkondo Jnr said whoever did this should be arrested as the assault is of such despicable level.
The child is heard pleading for forgiveness saying that it was hunger that compelled him to steal the maize.
Faith Finias observed that the child is under age and didn’t deserve the extent of such mob justice, adding that the vicious punishment shall forever traumatise him — and even implant some negative attitude that might lead him to become a criminal.
She and others added that under age children need to be protected and inspired to get educated and those that are wayward be reformed.
Chikumbutso Msosa said assuming the act happened in a proper community set up, the child should have being taken to a traditional chief to settle the case.
“Settling such issues is normally a function of community leadership,” he said. “Taking the law into your own hands has consequences. I hope this is being shared for corrective action and not to publicize our ignorance on governance issues”.
Meanwhile, Irish Rule of Law International (IRLI) has urged the police to give children in conflict with the law a chance to be transformed.
IRLI’s program lawyer, Martha Pigott
Speaking in Lilongwe on Friday during a two-day orientation workshop, IRLI’s program lawyer, Martha Pigott said it is sad that in most cases young offenders are treated like adults, a trend which is against young offender’s law.
Piggott asked police to always follow the law when discharging their duties more especially when dealing with young offenders.
“It is high time police officers develop the mind-set that gives children who are in conflict with the law a chance to change their behaviour by utilising counselling and other law-based alternatives.”
Piggott expressed optimism that the orientation will assist men and women in uniform to understand their job in order to reduce cases of young offenders that lead to unnecessary congestion in prisons.
Officer-in-Charge for Lingadzi Police Station, Assistant Commissioner Billy Chimbonga described the workshop as timely and an eye opener saying it will assist police to handle cases concerning children professionally.
“We are happy to have this orientation,” he said. “It is an eye opener on how to handle child related cases since most of them are recorded in lower police formations.”
Chimbonga appealed to participants to act as community policing coordinators so that the message of child diversion can be disseminated.—Reporting on IRLI by Rennie Tembo, MANA
Advertisement