Police Officer’s Wife Gets Two Years Imprisonment For Child Abuse

A Magistrate Court sitting in Okwe area of Asaba, Delta State has sentenced a police officer’s wife, Mrs. Precious Joseph, to two years imprisonment for abusing her 9-year-old househelp Agatha Emmanuel.

The victim incurred the wrath of her madam (Mrs. Joseph) after she allegedly disobeyed a directive that she (victim) should not take meat from the soup pot whenever she’s having a meal.

Handing down the jail term, the presiding Chief Magistrate, P.O. Obayuwana, held that the 2-year sentence was without an option of fine.

31 year old Mrs. Joseph was jailed for using a hot kitchen knife to disfigure the victim’s mouth.

In the suit with number OMC/118C/2020, Mrs. Joseph faced a two-count charge.

According to the charge sheet, the convict had on July 31, 2020 at Iyasele Street, Okwe within Okwe Magisterial District “did unlawfully assaulted one Agatha Emmanuel ‘f’ by causing her harm with hot knife on her mouth and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 355 of the Criminal Code Law, Cap C21 vol.1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.”

Count II read: “That you Precious Joseph ‘f’ on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned Magisterial District, did threatened violence with kitchen knife on Agatha Emmanuel ‘f’ and thereby committed an offence punishable under Section 86 (2) of the Criminal Code Law Cap C21 vol.1 Laws of Delta State of Nigeria 2006.”

The court ruled that Mrs. Joseph be sentenced to two years in prison without an option of fine for abusing her victim, Agatha, and inflicting bodily injuries on her.

The case of child abuse was reported at the B Division Police Station at Okwe by a neighbour, Mr. Simeon Morba, who saw the deep injury on Agatha’s mouth while fetching water that same morning and on enquiry was told it was her aunt that inflicted it on her.

Mr. Morba then went to ask Mrs. Joseph why she did that, but she became querrelsome, which prompted him to report the matter to the police.

From the statement obtained from the police, Mrs. Joseph stated that she burnt Agatha’s mouth because she took meat from the pot of soup against her warning that she should not take meat when eating.

She confessed that the girl is her brother’s daughter she brought grom her village in Cross River State.

However, the Delta State Child Rights Implementation Committee which immediately took custody of the victim, followed up in court where Agatha got justice.

In her comment, the representative of the Child Rights Implementation Committee in court, Mrs. Awele Ideal Esq, said once again justice had been served and would act as deterrent to persons who deal violently with children under their custody.