Zambia Association of Musicians president Njoya Tembo’s wife Brenda has been found with a case to answer for assaulting her niece.

Lusaka magistrate Greenwell Malumani placed Brenda on her defense yesterday after finding that the evidence adduced so far was sufficient to warrant her defend herself on a charge of assault on a child.

In this matter, Brenda is alleged to have beaten her niece with a cooking stick after which she allegedly burnt her with a pressing iron on her chest.

Earlier, the court dismissed an application by the defense to have the complainant who is the minor recalled to the stand as she was believed to have lied on which school she was attending.

Magistrate Malumani said the witness could not be recalled as there was no piece of legislation which provided for recalling of witnesses who had already concluded their testimony to court.

And an arresting officer, Elizabeth Nambela, testified that she decided to arrest Brenda on a charge of assault on the child after interviewing and examining the complainant in light of the medical report issued and signed on November 9, 2016 and November 11, 2016 respectively.

Inspector Nambela testified that the victim told her that she was beaten by her aunt with a cooking stick who later burnt her with a pressing iron on the chest.

She said she saw the scars of the wounds on the hands but didn’t see the blister on the chest as she saw the victim two weeks after the incident.

In cross examination, the officer denied the suggestion by the defense that the injuries would have been caused by anything else.

According to another witness, a teacher at Woodlands B primary school, the juvenile went to school with swollen hands and a blister on the chest saying she was burnt by her aunt Brenda after she was found using a pressing iron she was told not to be using on October 26 2016.

Trial continues.