A 31 year old man of Kubung ward in Maun was on Thursday this week arrested by the police and is facing child abuse charges after neighbours reported him for habitually beating his 5 year old son and neglecting him.
Charged with a single count of cruel treatment of a child the father is set to appear before Maun Magistrate court on Monday next week.
Confirming the incident, Maun Station Commander, Dennis Zilawe revealed that they received a tip off from concerned neighbors with regard to the heartbreaking living conditions of the minor child who is often subjected to severe beatings by his father and often left home unattended.
“We received a tip off that the child was living a nightmare at the hands of his father. He beats him so bad and his entire body is scarred,” revealed Zilawe.
According to Zilawe the police followed the tip off only to find the child home alone, “The child was immediately taken to the hospital for medical attention, he is currently being housed at a shelter for safety while we locate his mother,” explained Zilawe.
Asked why he was being abusive to the child, the father is said to have told the police that he is driven by emotional stress to do so.
According to Zilawe they have been reliably informed that the child’s mother stays in Ikoga and that she is equally likely to be charged for negligence of a minor child.
“We are tracking down the mother, we will bring her in for questioning to find out her reasons of leaving the child with the father without and never bothering to check their living conditions. The possibility remains open to charge the mother,” suggested Zilawe adding that there is no wrong in another parent staying with the child however the other parent should also be involved in the child’s life.
According to section 2 of the Children’s Act , any parent or guardian of a child or any person having the custody of a child who neglects, ill-treats or exploits the child or allows or causes him to be neglected, ill-treated or exploited shall be guilty of an offence.
This section stresses that a child shall be deemed to have been neglected if the parent or guardian or any person having custody of the child unreasoinably fails to provide or pay for adequate food, clothing or housing for the child, unreasonably fails to make provision for proper health and care of the child, unreasonably leaves the child in the care of any person or institution without showing any further interest in the child or exposes the child to conditions or circumstances which are likely to cause him physical, mental and psychological distress or damage. If found guilty perpetrators can be send to prison for correctional measures.