Court Fines Couple for Punishing their Children

A Zimbabwean couple appeared last Friday for assaulting their two children who vomited and cried when their parents proceeded to the dock in court.

Lance West (39) and Janette West (27) reside at Carruthers Avenue, Northend. Lance is employed at Calbro Transport Belmont, Bulawayo and Janette is self employed.

Prosecuting, Mr Nkathazo Dlodlo said: “Someday in May this year, Lance arrived home drunk, confronted his step son and started assaulting him with a crutch several times all over his body.”

The court heard their son sustained injuries on his left eye.

Lance and Janette pleaded guilty to assault before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Tinashe Tashaya who fined each of them $30.

He also sentenced them to three months imprisonment which was wholly suspended on condition that they do not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

As the couple proceeded to the dock, their son vomited and their daughter shed tears.

Lance told the court that he assaulted his son because he had hit his car light intentionally and hurt his daughter with the door as he was trying to unlock a room she had locked herself in.

Janette told the court that her children are stubborn and lacked discipline.

“Your worship we have tried to discipline them even taking them for counselling but all efforts have been to no avail,” she said.

“I would like to believe that our children have anger issues because when we try to discipline or talk to them they lock themselves in the bathroom.

“Our daughter has even jumped more than twice from a moving car”.

The magistrate asked the couple if they knew that they had no right to assault their children in the manner they did.

Both of the accused persons admitted that they acted unlawfully and asked for forgiveness from the court.