IN a tear-jerking incident, a three-year-old boy from
Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb, who was left in the care of a nursery school
teacher, was allegedly on several times sodomised by a male suspect believed to
be linked to the teacher.
The matter was reported to the police, who said they are
still conducting investigations. “We did
receive a report of such nature and have questioned people that were in contact
with the child during that period,” said deputy police spokesperson for
Bulawayo province, Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele.
According to the boy’s mother (name supplied), he was
sodomised by a suspect the boy referred to as “khulu”.
“He goes to a pre-school in Nkulumane. When schools closed
during the festive season, I made arrangements with his teacher to care for him
during the day as I was at work and had no maid. We live in the same
neighbourhood and I thought since he was used to her he would be comfortable
being left in her care,” said the mother.
She said, however, after a few days her son’s attitude
began to change, as he would use vulgar language and was aggressive to the
point of beating other children or adults.
“He started using abusive language and was aggressive
physically. Days went by and I thought of enquiring with the teacher but I let
it slide as I just assumed he had picked up those characteristics from other
children. Before Christmas my son started saying things like ukhulu ung’bhalile
which is a saying he uses when he says he has been injected. And the term khulu
is referenced to men.
“I then asked him where exactly he had been injected but he
never said,” she said.
She said she took a day off a few days after her son had
told her that but did not tell the teacher that she would not be dropping her
son off.
“Ironically she never called to check if I would be
dropping my son off. In the morning when I was bathing my son he was so
aggressive and screamed when I tried to wash his private parts,” said the boy’s
mother.
She said she became worried about her son, as he went for
three days without defecating.
“On those days in question I took him with me to town and
went to the bank, while there he said he wanted to use the toilet but screamed
when he sat on the toilet seat. I was worried and just thought he was
constipated. After my day off I left him with the teacher and hinted that he
may be constipated. When I collected him after work and on our way home I
noticed he kept rubbing and scratching his backside,” she said.
She said that is when her son revealed her worst fears.
“He was in tears and when I checked on him it was evident
that he had been violated. That evening I called a friend of mine to ferry me
to Luveve Clinic, where the doctor confirmed that he had been sodomised. We
were then referred to Mpilo Central Hospital for a second opinion and likewise
it was the same outcome,” she said.
She said she then reported the matter to the police and the
boy was taken for counselling, where he narrated the same story.
“What bothers me is the fact that police are dragging their
feet in all this,” the boy’s mother said.
The teacher could not be reached for comment. However, her
sister accused the boy’s mother of trying to tarnish their family’s image.
“The child was abused elsewhere and not at my sister’s
place. On some days she wouldn’t bring the child. She stays with some males and
is just trying to frame us. There is also another male child there. She knows
who abused the child and maybe she is just ashamed of revealing it. She has
been on the war path and has been accusing my family of protecting my sister.
At one time she even went to confront my mother demanding that she reveals what
happened to her son. The case is under investigation and we really can’t say a
lot.” Sunday News
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