Barman narrates how he found a girl allegedly assaulted by her aunt seeking refuge in toilets at ZAF Twin Palm
By Staff Reporter
THE Lusaka Magistrates’ Court has heard how a girl allegedly assaulted by her aunt, a Zambia Air Force officer, was found soaked and shivering in one of the female toilets at the ZAF Twin Palm Mess by a bar man.
Field Masheto, a bar man at ZAF Twin Palm Mess, was testifying in a case in which officer Mildred Luwaile is charged with assault on a child.
It is alleged that Lieutenant Luwaile on March 25, 2019 assaulted a child under the age of 16 thereby occasioning her actual bodily harm but she pleaded not guilty.
Luwaile is alleged to have used hot spoons to inflict injuries on the girl.
Giving his evidence in the case before magistrate Nthandose Chabala, Masheto said he found the girl in one of the ladies toilets when he went to clean at about 05:00 hours on April 12, 2019.
The witness said when he opened the door to the toilet after repeatedly knocking, he noticed that the girl was soaked and shivering.
He said he pleaded with the girl to open the door after he heard her voice.
Masheto said he earlier called his workmate Mwanza Chizora to ascertain why the door was locked despite several knocks and attempts to gain entry into the ablution block.
The court heard that Masheto and Chizora gave the girl a blanket to cover herself because she was shivering.
He said it rained from Thursday 20:00 hours until Friday 03:00 hours on April 12 this year.
Masheto said the girl who was even limping, told him that she run away from home because she was beaten by her aunt, the accused person.
He said when he asked the girl why she found herself in the officers mess, the victim said she got lost as she attempted to go to Mpongwe after leaving her auntie’s place.
Masheto said two officers from ZAF were alerted of the incident and a day after, police officers from Woodlands Police Station went to ZAF for investigations.
But when cross examined, Masheto said he never saw physical injuries on the victim.
According to the police’s statement issued after the incident, Luwaile was reported to the police by a concerned member of the public that she was in the habit of abusing and assaulting her niece.
