A POLICE officer has testified before the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court how an 11-year-old girl narrated to him that her aunt, a Zambia Air Force (ZAF) soldier, allegedly used to inflict pain on her using hot spoons and knives.

This is in a matter where Mildred Luwaile, a 33-year-old Zambia Air Force lieutenant, is charged with assault on a child.

It is alleged that on March 25, last year, Luwaile of ZAF Twin Palm, assaulted a child under the age of 16, who was under her care, thereby occasioning her Actual Bodily Harm (ABH).

When the matter came up for continued trial before Lusaka Magistrate Nthandose Chabala, Tuesday, Constable Frank Wakumelo testified that on April 12, last year, he was given a docket of assault on a child.

He said acting on the docket, he followed the victim to ZAF Hospital in Twin Palm where she was admitted and nursing multiple injuries all over her body.

“The victim narrated to me that the accused used to inflict pain on her on several occasions. The medical report also showed that the actions leading to the wounds were not natural or accidental,” Wakumelo said.

He said the victim further told him that Luwaile also used to boil water in a kettle and pour it on her in the bath tab and further ordered her not to inform anyone about her injuries.

Wakumelo said the school only knew about the incident when the victim’s friend alerted them after spotting the multiple wounds on the child’s body.

He said he later arrested Luwaile in connection with the offence and charged her since he had gathered overwhelming evidence against her.

Last year, the 11-year-old girl narrated to the court that her auntie tortured her by heating spoons and knives and pressed them on her skin after accusing her of having stolen a slice of bread.

The juvenile told the Court that she tried to explain to Luwaile that she did consume the bread as it was eaten by her cousin who was left under her care.

She said Luwaile perpetually abused and inflicted pain on her body by heating a knife on the stove and when it got hot she would tie her hands behind and burn her with the hot object.

The victim said Luwaile once poured hot water on her as revenge for burning her child accidentally.

She further said the accused forced her to be spending nights in the garage, claiming that she used to bed-wet.

In cross-examination, the 11-year-old denied being taken to a pastor by her auntie for counselling on assertions that her behaviour was strange.

She said she was sent to the pastor for other errands and not counselling.

Meanwhile, the Court set August 25, this year, for a ruling on case or no case to answer in the matter after the State closed its case.