Five people arraigned for child kidnapping

Five people on Thursday appeared before the Kagera Resident Magistrate’s Court to answer two charges, including conspiracy to commit an offense and child kidnapping.

Prosecuting State Attorney Amani  Kilua who was assisted by   Mgeni  Mdee  named the accused before the court  as Husina Abdallah, Khalid Ramadhan, Japhet Stanslaus, Denice Prudence and Abdul  Seleman, a medicineman. all Bukoba residents.

He told a fully-packed courtroom that the accused jointly committed the offense on December 1, last year.

Ms  Joanitha Augustine (37), a resident of Migera Street  who testified as PW1  told the court that she delivered a  baby boy (Benitha Beneth),  on October 31, 2022  at Zamzam Health Centre in Bukoba Municipality and was issued  with a  maternity card which was tendered as exhibit  one .

She narrated that on November 30, 2022 she was visited by   Khalid Ramadhan (second accused) who was accompanied by Denice Prudence (4th accused). The two conglatulated her for the safe delivery and Prudence gave her 1,000/-.

She further testified that, on the evening of December 1, 2022 Ramadhan and   Prudence again visited her at Migera Street.

Prudence called her some 10 metres away and had a short chat. She later escorted them some 200 metres away from the house, but to her surprise, when she went back the baby was nowhere to be seen.

Later, she reported the matter to the Bukoba police station and full investigation was conducted leading to the arrest of the accused.

Ms   Augustine further told the court that on December 8, 2022 she was escorted by two policemen to Dodoma Regional Referral hospital where she identified her child who was admitted at the institution.

Bukoba Resident Magistrate in-charge, Janeth Massesa adjourned the Criminal Case No 129/2022 to April 24th, this year for further hearing.

Child abduction is the offence of wrongfully removing or wrongfully retaining, detaining or concealing a child or baby.  Abduction is defined as taking away a person by persuasion, by fraud or by open force or violence.

There are two types of child abduction: parental child abduction and abduction by a stranger.  The same ACT makes it a criminal offense for ‘other persons’ (e.g non-family members) to ‘take or detain’ a child under the age of 16 without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

The majority of non-parental child abductions recorded by police are perpetrated by strangers or by people exploiting young people.