Former Policeman Receives Community Service Sentence After Assaulting His Child
The Harare Magistrates’ Court has ordered a former police officer from Eastview to serve community service at Mabvuku Police Station after he pleaded guilty to assaulting his son.
According to H-Metro, Knowell Muzenda requested a lenient sentence, saying he is the primary breadwinner for his son, pregnant wife, and siblings.
Presiding Magistrate Ayanda Dhlamini sentenced him to 18 months in prison, with six months suspended on the condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.
The remaining 12 months were also suspended, contingent upon his completion of 120 hours of community service at Mabvuku Police Station.
Muzenda’s wife, Sarah Mafara, 36, who was away at a church conference in Hwedza at the time of the incident, also took the stand to plead for leniency on his behalf. She said:
We stay well with our children and this is the first time he has severely assaulted our son like this, I believe this incident was triggered by the alcohol he had been drinking.
He has apologised to me and the kids and may the court be lenient with him so that he can take care of the family, we are willing to go for positive parenting sessions to allow us to take good care of our children.
Prosecutors had argued that assaulting and ill-treating children is a serious offence and urged the court to impose a custodial sentence. Said the prosecution:
It has been established that he is a habitual perpetrator of physical abuse on his child and on this day the boy was lucky that someone recorded this incident and shared it on social media.
The probation officer assessed that the child was traumatised and the fact that he has forgiven his father is neither here nor there, he’s just worried that he won’t have anyone to take care of him.
The weapons used in assaulting the child are dangerous, the father used a black rubber rope, a wire and a brick.
He’s the father and he ought to have used moderate means to reprimand the child and the State is of the view that a fine would trivialise the offence and the State prays that a deterrent sentence be imposed.
He ought to have protected his child but he subjected him to trauma and abuse.
The court heard that on October 6, in Eastview, Muzenda sent his son to buy spaghetti from a nearby tuckshop.
When the boy returned later than expected, Muzenda assaulted him with a black rubber rope, a wire, and bricks.
As a result, the child sustained a swollen left cheek, bruises on his back, a swollen right leg, and pain throughout his body.
More: Pindula News
