A married  couple of Kabanshi village in Samfya has been arrested for allegedly killing a three-year-old boy and removing his heart. The couple allegedly killed the toddler, put his body in a sack and hid it in a bush. Luapula Province Commissioner of Police Elias Chushi said the couple, whose names have been withheld, led police to the scene of murder where they found the child’s body bundled in a sack.

Mr Chushi said police also found the child’s heart concealed in a lunchbox. The boy was killed on Sunday around 12:00 hours. “The boy went missing from his home after which his uncle Mr Kashimilo Mwewa, 47, reported the matter to the police,” he said. The suspects are in police custody and will appear in court soon.

Meanwhile, Ndola magistrate Bubala Sikalunda has sentenced a 33-year-old man to seven years imprisonment with hard labour for beating his former wife he accused of squeezing his private parts. Martin Fulaulo of McKenzie township in Ndola was found guilty of assaulting Memory Matafwali.

The court heard that on September 22 last year, after knocking off from work, Ms Matafwali met Fulaulo, who was in a group of people and he threatened to kill her. She testified that Fulaulo later started beating her. Ms Matafwali said when she tried to free herself from Fulaulo, he hit her with his knee, ran away and left her bleeding. “I went back to my workplace and told my boss about what had happened.

Some people were sent to look for him and he was apprehended and taken to Ndeke Police Station,” she said. Arresting officer Harrison Lubinda testified that during interrogations, Fulaulo said Ms Matafwali wanted to squeeze his private parts and he defended himself. In defence, Fulaulo said that day, his former wife pulled his manhood but he shoved her away.

He said Ms Matafwali found him with his friends she was not in good terms with and she decided to leave. Fulaulo said on his way home, he met Ms Matafwali, who accused him of following her everywhere she went. He said Ms Matafwali then slapped him in the face, but he did not hit back at her. But when she slapped him again, he retaliated.

“I got upset and slapped her back but she pulled my manhood and so I pushed her away and she fell down. She got up again to hold my manhood. I felt the pain and in trying to defend myself, I hit her on her forehead,” Fulaulo said. Magistrate Sikalunda found Fulaulo guilty and convicted him. She dismissed his statement that he acted in self-defence because his former wife was not aggressive. “From the foregoing, I find that the accused’s defence of selfdefence fails.

The prosecution has proved its case beyond reasonable doubt,” magistrate Sikalunda said. In mitigation, Fulaulo said he would never repeat what he did to his former wife. Magistrate Sikalunda said she considered Fulaulo’s mitigation but took into account that genderbased violence (GBV) cases are still on the rise in the country. “GBV cases are still on the increase, and I will be forced to impose stiff penalties to deter would-be offenders,” she said.