By PRUDENCE CHOTA –
THE Ndola High Court has discharged a 24-year-old woman who was convicted of attempting to kill her baby by dumping it in a pit latrine.
Ndola High Court Judge Charles Chande granted Dorothy Kumwenda of House Number 102 Kabushi Township absolute discharge after a conviction of attempted infanticide.
It was alleged that Kumwenda on May 16, this year at around 09:00 hours went for a prayer meeting, while she was pregnant at House Number 1848 New Mushili Township in Ndola so that she could be prayed for because she has had tonsillitis.
It was at the prayer meeting that Kumwenda felt something was not fine with her stomach and so she decided to visit the lavatory that was outside the house.
While in the pit latrine, Kumwenda gave birth to a baby girl whom she decided to throw in the pit latrine and went back to the house where prayers were still being conducted without telling anyone what had happened.
Bridget Chisenga, testified in court that she was one of the people that attended the prayer meeting and she went to the pit latrine that evening when she heard a baby crying inside the pit latrine.
Ms Chisenga said she notified others who also heard the baby crying and they called the Police who came to the scene immediately.
The Police retrieved the baby from the pit latrine and rushed it to Arthur Davidson Hospital where she received medical treatment and survived.
Kumwenda in mitigation told the court that she was asking for forgiveness, saying that she had no intention of killing her baby, which she had kept for nine months.
Kumwenda said she had no idea what happened to women when they were pregnant considering that it was her first pregnancy.
She said her mother was looking after the baby and that she would continue supporting the child if given a second chance and that she regretted her action.
Passing judgment, Mr Justice Chande said he had granted Kumwenda absolute discharge.
“Considering the fact that it is the first time the convict is appearing before court and that her mind was not fully recovered from giving birth at the time the incident happened, I have granted an absolute discharge,” he said.
