A GWANDA woman who tied her four-year-old cousin’s privates to prevent him from bedwetting was yesterday spared the agony of prison life after being sentenced to perform community service. ALBERT NCUBE OWN CORRESPONDENT
Soneni Dube (29) of Gonkwe village, who spent the weekend in remand prison, was convicted on her own plea of guilty to charges of neglecting or ill-treating the boy when she appeared before Gwanda magistrate Sheila Nazombe.
Dube was initially slapped with a nine-month jail term, but had three months suspended on condition she does not commit an offence involving child abuse in the next five years.
The remaining six months were wholly suspended on condition that she performs 210 hours of community service at Hwabayi Primary School.
Dube apologised for her behaviour and told the court that she had committed the crime after getting advice that tying the boy’s privates was going to stop him from bedwetting.
It was the State’s case that on June 14, Dube was angered by her younger cousin’s continued bedwetting habit, and at around 7pm, she took an elastic band and tied his private part to prevent him from bedwetting.
During the night, the boy woke up and indicated that he wanted to urinate and she untied him.
After relieving himself, the boy was again tied throughout the whole night. Dube tied the boy for three consecutive nights until he developed some skin irritation.
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His grandmother examined the boy’s body and noticed a wound around his private part.
The boy was taken to hospital and a medical report was compiled, leading to Dube’s arrest.
