MAID JAILED SEVEN YEARS FOR ABORTING EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANCY
MAID JAILED SEVEN YEARS FOR ABORTING EIGHT MONTHS PREGNANCY
A 24-YEAR-OLD maid of Lusaka’s Ng’ombe has been sentenced to seven years imprisonment for terminating her eight-month pregnancy after the man allegedly responsible refused to have anything to do with her or the baby.
Before the court issued its verdict, Violet Zulu, who is a mother of two already, was in tears as she asked for leniency saying her children will need her care.
“I didn’t know what I was doing. I was just worried that my children will not have support,” she said amid sobs. “I have a five-year-old child and another one is one year and eight months.”
Zulu told court that she terminated the pregnancy because the unborn child’s father refused to take responsibility.
Magistrate Mutinta Mwenya asked her why she never used contraceptives to avoid getting pregnant.
“I was taking family planning pills, I don’t know what happened,” she said.
Magistrate Mwenya said Section 151 of the Penal Code provides that a person who procures an abortion is liable to seven years imprisonment.
“The courts in Lusaka won’t condone such, a life was lost,” the magistrate said. “I sentence you to seven years imprisonment.”
Zulu was accused of procuring an abortion and when the charge was read out yesterday, she readily admitted.
She told the court she aborted the pregnancy using some concoction before going on to explain the rationale behind her action.
CREDIT: ZDM