A man from Maun is facing significant jail time for severely beating his seven-year-old son with an electric cable, leaving the child badly inj_red.
Gonna Mogapi, 33, appeared before the Magistrates’ Court and admitted to the offence of cruel, inhumane, and degrading treatment or punishment of a child. He pleaded guilty to the charges.
The incident occurred on 16th September 2023, when Mogapi returned home hungry and discovered that the food he had left in the pot was gone. In a fit of rage, he blamed his young son for eating the food and whipped him with an electric cable, causing deep wounds to the boy’s head, hands, and back.
Following the ass@ult, the child missed school for two days. When he returned on the third day, his teacher noticed the inj_ries and reported the matter to the police.
Before the incident, the child had been living with his mother in Serule. Mogapi had expressed his desire to have the child stay with him in Maun. After the assault, the child was sent back to his mother with the assistance of Social Welfare.
Magistrate Gofaone Mosweu stated that the minimum sentence for such an offence is seven years imprisonment or a P30,000 fine, or possibly both. Mosweu emphasized the importance of consulting a social welfare officer to understand how the sentence might affect the child, as the court does not want to prejudice him.
The magistrate advised Mogapi to prepare his plea in mitigation, as the court will pass sentence on his next appearance, scheduled for 21st November. Mogapi will remain out on bail until then.
