Mkushi Woman Jailed for Killing 10-Day-Old Baby
Kabwe High Court Judge Irene Mbewe has sentenced a 26-year-old woman from Mkushi, Charitable Mulenga, to five years in prison for the death of her 10-day-old baby,
whom she buried in a shallow grave. Mulenga, who pleaded guilty to infanticide, was handed a simple imprisonment sentence due to her circumstances, including postpartum depression.
In delivering the judgment, Judge Mbewe acknowledged the anxiety and distress Mulenga experienced after her boyfriend denied responsibility for the pregnancy, leaving her to care
for two other children. “It is unfortunate that you took the life of a 10-day-old baby,” Judge Mbewe said. However, the court emphasized that despite her mental health challenges,
Mulenga had other options, such as offering the baby for adoption.
The case sheds light on the struggles some women face during unplanned pregnancies and the critical need for mental health support. It underscores the importance of addressing the
social and psychological pressures that often accompany such situations, particularly for vulnerable women like Mulenga, who felt abandoned and overwhelmed.
While the court’s decision reflects compassion for Mulenga’s circumstances, it also serves as a reminder of the value of human life and the need for alternatives to such
tragic actions. Community awareness and mental health interventions are vital to ensuring that women in similar situations receive the help they need before resorting to
irreversible decisions.
Let’s not continue pretending we’re a Christian nation; we need full blown family planning education to stem unnecessary pregnancies which subsequently result in such tragedies. May the soul of the baby rest in peace.
We need to educate women. The statistics show that educated women have fewer children
@Mayo Mpapa, you could not have expressed it better. I am still appalled with the hypocrisy of it all. If we were a real Christian nation, there would be no theft, harming of each other, coruption…need I go on? It is being used to hoodwink the common masses….who have no hope but to believe in God.
Judge Mbewe my namesake, Why does the age of the victim seem to demand different sentencing? The taking of a life is the same. Only self defence can be a mitigating factor in the taking of a life. There should be no “simple imprisonment sentence” because the victim was a baby!
Because my boyfriend denied responsibility cant be a reason for killing my baby. This should be appealed. The judge has acted irrationally. She should have in fact used her platform to ask for support and publicity for charity organisations looking after unwanted children. Such deaths must be prevented in future. Most Zambians dont seem to know about organisations that look after unwanted babies and what the conditions of doing this are.
Does a person suffering from mental illness possess a sound judgment ?
A person suffering from mental illness is never tried or sentenced.