Maid kills baby, taken for mental check up

Oct 31, 2018

Incidents of maids torturing toddlers/ children have been on the rise, in the recent past.

CRIME

Having lived and worked in Kampala for over a year, Nakalema Harriet, 32, who had left her less than one-year-old baby in the village decided to go and pick her.

The baby was now 18 months. However, the baby was not to enjoy the good life her mother was reportedly bringing her to. Her affluence came to an abrupt halt, when her own mother killed her.

On Monday, Nakalema took her child to Mulago Hospital claiming that she was sick and needed special treatment, but according to medical workers the baby was already dead.

Doctors carried out a postmortem and found out that the baby's internal organs, especially the intestines were missing as well as her private parts, immediately the medical team alerted the Police who arrested the woman.

During Investigations, Police found out that Nakalema is a housemaid in Kiwatule a city suburb, and her boss lives in Cananda, but she stays in the house with a care taker who usually comes back home late.

When Police visited the home in Kiwatule, they found blood stained clothes and some body parts on the floor.

 

Deputy Police spokesperson, SP Patrick Onyango, said in her statement Nakalema admitted that she stabbed her child and ate the intestines because she was possessed by evil spirits but the motive of her killing is not yet clear

"We are taking her for a mental check-up today for an examination, we are also going to take the body samples we picked from the house to the Government analytical laboratory to find out the exact body parts and we are going to charge her with murder,"

"Ever since we arrested Nakalema her other friend whom they used to live with has not surfaced anywhere. We are also looking for her to record a statement," he noted.

According to neighbours, Nakalema often frequents prayers every Sunday at a renowned born-again Church in Bwaise.

"I heard her praying loudly on Sunday evening, it seems she had finished killing the baby,"  noted a neighbor

Speaking to New Vision, Mondo Kyateka, the commissioner for youth and children in the ministry of gender condemned the incidence and called for Police to punish the woman so that she can serve as an example to other people who are mistreating children.

"What that woman did is extremely inexcusable and it is the highest form of craziness. Whether she was going through tight circumstances, she should not have killed her child. She should face the law to serve as an example to many who think that they have the right to take away children's rights," noted Mondo.

Mondo also noted that in their recent violence report they have found out that majority of people who hurt children are family members.

Incidents of maids torturing toddlers/ children have been on the rise, in the recent past.

In May 2013, Police in Kabale municipality held a housemaid (Sylvia Kyarikunda, then aged 18), for suffocating an eight-month-old baby girl.

Kyarikunda in a statement at police testified that she killed a baby with a pillow because the baby used to cry a lot whenever the mother was away.

In December 2014, court handed a four-year jail sentence to house maid, Jolly Tumuhiirwe, who pleaded guilty to assault of an 18-month-old baby.

Tumuhiirwe, 22, was captured in a video that went viral on several social media platforms battering a helpless toddler who was under her care.

Also related to this story

Maid who allegedly murdered baby to be transferred to Kampala

Maid who tortured baby faces attempted murder

Maid kills boss'' child after being threatened with sack

 

 

 

 

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