Torture suspect on the run in new case

Dar es Salaam. Yet another case of domestic violence has emerged, close on the heels of a child being locked up in a box for nearly four years and subsequently dying, and a young woman undergoing a two-year-long ordeal that included being periodically burnt by an iron box.

Fifteen-year-old Merina Mathayo is currently undergoing treatment at the Muhimbili Orthopaedic Institute (MOI), after being rescued by a woman who had linked her to a female lawyer as a house help.

The girl’s parents in Kagera Region had entrusted their daughter to Ms Josephina Rwechungura, who delivered her to the lawyer in 2012.

The link-person recently discovered that the employer was frequently assaulting her, and decided to tip off the police.

Four people have appeared in court so far, charged with two separate cases of domestic violence.

Three are accused of murdering four-year-old Nasra, as a culmination of long confinement in a box in Morogoro.

And one has been charged with physically torturing Ms Yusta Lucas, 20, who is currently undergoing treatment at Mwananyamala Hospital.

The Kinondoni Regional Police Commander Camullius Wambura, said the the law enforcement organ was searching for the suspect in the latest case, who vanished from her house at Boko on the outskirts of the city. “We are investigating the matter and have launched a manhunt for the suspect; what she is accused of is intolerable,” he said.

Merina told The Citizen on Saturday that her employer beat her on an almost daily basis, and cited being struck on the head by a jar as one of the most painful incidents.

She said that she hadn’t been paid a single penny over the two years that she had worked for the woman.

“Our agreement was that Sh40,000 would be my monthly salary, half of which she was supposed to send to my parents, but she didn’t fulfill the terms,” she lamented tearfully. Merina said upon paying her a visit, Ms Rwechungura discovered her plight, rescued her and reported the matter to the police.

The girl was initially admitted to Mwananyamala Hospital last Wednesday, but according to Health Secretary Edwin Bisakala, preliminary checkup showed that the patient had suffered critical head injuries and referred her to MOI.

The institute’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Patrick Mvungi, says it will cover all the expenses involved.

“ The MOI administration decided to cover Merina’s treatment costs, considering that she is a minor and a victim of domestic violence,” he explained.

He explained further that the patient was currently on pain killers, ahead of major treatment that will commence after release of CT-Scan results.