STEPMOTHER ADMINISTERED CORROSIVE LIQUID ON 5 MONTHS CHILD

By: Sahr J. Bangah

At the Makeni magistrate court, Balu Kalokoh was arraigned before magistrate Peter Gogra on three counts charges ranging from Fluid with intent contrary to Section 29 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861 and Causing grievous Bodily Harm with Intent contrary to Section 18 of the Offences against the Person Act 1861. 

According to police statement revealed that on Sunday 19th December 2019 at Rokona Village in the Yoni Mabanta chiefdom, Tonkolili District the accused Balu Kalokoh applied corrosive fluid to a five months old child with intent to disfigure and endanger the life of the said five months old child.

Explaining her ordeal in court, Madam Aminata Kabia said the accused Balu Kalokoh and her are marriage to Abu Bakarr Koroma and later recalled that the accused and her were not in peace immediately when she became pregnant for their husband.

She maintained that the accused was the first woman who came to the marital home but was not bless with a child, she cried and recalled that her first child pass away in the hands of the accused when the accused took her to an unknown destination only to come out later with her baby vomiting substance without no justification but unfortunately no action was taken because she taught that accused will never harm her child.

She further revealed that few months later, God gave her a baby boy and the accused also came to assist her as tradition demands after frantic efforts has been made between their husband and family members for them to live in peace as one family.

She disclosed that one fateful day the accused left her village Rothawah and came to Rokana village where she was staying with her in laws and later recalled on the 3rd January 2020, the accused Balu Kalokoh took her five months baby to play with him, after a while she later she came with the baby crying and placed him in her lap in order to breast feed him.

He continued in tears, as she was about to breast feed her son. She saw a sore on her child penis and immediately she raised alarmed and family members came to the scene and advise her to applied palm oil on the sore. She further stated that immediately she has applied it, she saw her son private part change to black filled with bumps and was left with no alternative but to scold the accused that she wanted to kill her son.

The matter was later adjourned but the accused was denied bail by magistrate Peter Gogra on the ground that the accused was charged with felonious offence.