A police officer’s wife, identified as Mrs. Precious Joseph, has been jailed for two years without an option of fine for violently abusing her nine years old house-help, Miss Agatha Emmanuel.
It was gathered that the incident occurred at the Okwe area of Asaba, Delta State.
According to a judgment delivered by His Lordship, P.O. Obayuwana, the Chief Magistrate of Court 11 in the Okwe Magisterial District, on Monday 3rd August 2020, jailed the 31 years old Mrs. Precious Joseph for two years for using a hot kitchen knife to injure her victim’s mouth.
The reactions of the suspect’s offense were contained in the two-count charge in No: OMC/118C/2020:
“That you Precious Joseph ‘f’ on 31st day of July 2020 at Iyasele Street, Okwe, in Okwe Magisterial District did unlawfully assaulted one Agatha Emmanuel ‘f’ by causing her harm with a hot knife on her mouth and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21 vol.1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.”
Also in Count 11: “That you Precious Joseph ‘f’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did threaten violence with a kitchen knife on Agatha Emmanuel ‘f’ and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 86 (2) of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 vol.1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.”
The Chief Magistrate, therefore, ruled that Mrs. Precious Joseph be convicted to two years in prison without an option of fine for abusing her victim, Agatha Emmanuel, and inflicting bodily injuries on her.
It was gathered that the child abuse case was reported at the B Division Police Station, Okwe, by Mr. Simeon Morba who saw the deep injury on the victim’s mouth.
The victim was reported to be fetching water that same morning and investigations made, revealed that her aunt inflicted the injuries on her that same morning.
Mr. Morba, who hurriedly asked Mrs. Joseph the reason for her action, but instead was resisted with a fight which prompted him to hurry to the police station to report the matter.
From the accused’s statement obtained from the police charge file, Mrs. Joseph stated that she burnt Agatha’s mouth because she took meat from the pot of soup against her warning that she should not take meat when eating.
The suspect confessed that the girl is her brother’s daughter, whom she traveled to her village in Cross River State to request that she came to live with her to take care of her three young children to enable her focus on her business.
However, the Delta State Child Rights Implementation Committee which immediately took custody of the victim, followed up in court were the nine years old Agatha got justice.
In her comment, the representative of the Child Rights Implementation Committee in court, Mrs. Awele Ideal Esq, said once again justice had been served to act as a deterrent to persons who deal violently on children under their custody.
Meanwhile, the father of the girl had arrived Delta State and after all the formalities, the Ministry of Women Affairs then handed over his daughter to him on Tuesday 4th August 2020.
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