The Ntcheu Senior Resident Magistrate court in Central Region of Malawi has sentenced a 21 year-old sex worker, Jenita Matias, to five years in prison for killing an unborn baby.
State prosecutor, Sub inspector
Blessings Kajogolo told the court that Matias, who was doing her business at
Lizulu Trading Centre got conceived and when she was eight months pregnant,
decided to take poison in order to kill the unborn baby.
The court further heard that
during the night of February 16-17, 2024, she took poisonous medical drugs and
later inserted a wooden stick into her vagina.
“In the course of all this, the
child came out dead and she put it in her bag and started off to Mozambique
which is her home country but was stopped on her way by villagers who later
took her to Lizulu Health Centre,” said Kajongolo.
When appearing in court, she
pleaded guilty to the charge levelled against her.
The state prayed for a
custodial sentence, saying the act was evil, and that she could have prevented
herself from getting pregnancy by getting contraceptive measures rather than
killing the eight months old baby.
In mitigation, Matias pleaded
for forgiveness, saying she was advised by her colleague who is now on the run.
But Senior Resident Magistrate
Joshua Nkhono concurred with the state and sentenced her to five years
imprisonment.
Jenita Matias hails from
Mthawira Village in Traditional Authority Angonia in Mozambique
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