Boy loses genitals in phoney accident

Child rights NGO, Eye of the Child, has taken Ndirande Police to task over the poor handling of a case in which a 10-year-old boy’s private parts went missing.

It is suspected that a mini-bus deliberately run over the boy and some men ripped-off his private parts and later claimed he lost his jewels during the accident.

Ndirande Police only recorded a case involving a Toyota Hiace registration number LA 3688 that hit the child at Nasolo Bridge along Ndirande Ring Road in November 2012. It is, however, not indicated that the boy did not have private parts when he was being handed over to the Police.

According to a police report of the accident handled by traffic officer Andrew Kabwabwa, the victim sustained “bruises on thighs, left hand abdomen and traumatic amputation of scrotum”.

The driver, identified as Kondwani Masiyano, was only charged with reckless driving and fined K5, 000 and the case was closed.

But a medical report indicates that the private parts were not damaged as a result of the accident but were deliberately removed.

This prompted the child’s uncle Chifundo Yakobe to seek expert advice from Eye of The Child.

Eye of the Child Chief Executive Maxwell Matewere said doctors who treated the child were surprised that the minibus only damaged the private parts without injuring or crushing his femurs (thigh bones.)

“It does not make sense that the tyres of the minibus only removed the private parts which are between the legs but did not damage the thighs. The doctors said even when they went to the theatre they expected to find traces of the private parts either on the skin or the clothes but there was none of that kind,” he said.

He added: “According to the doctors, had the private parts been crushed by the tyres of the minibus, there should have been traces or remains of the private parts attached either to the skin or clothes. But when the boy went into the theatre it showed that the private parts were actually removed.”

Matewere said this was reasonable ground for the Police to pursue the matter further to find out what really happened but he was surprised that the case was closed quickly. He vowed that his NGO would pursue the matter.

“We have already obtained an order from the Child Justice Court in Blantyre to take the child into protective custody until all investigations of suspected foul play are exhaustively investigated,” he said.

But Southern Region Police spokesperson Nicholas Gondwa said the Police followed procedure in handling the case.

“The procedure is that after a road accident the victim is taken to hospital and after the victim is out of hospital, the driver is charged and fined. After that it is up to the victim or relatives to claim compensation from the vehicle owner. In this case what remains is for the guardian to push for compensation from the vehicle’s insurance company,” he said.

But Yakobe, the victim’s uncle, said he wants justice to be done before claiming compensation for his nephew.