By Ephraim Modi D.S
A 9 months’ old baby was on Monday evening found burnt on her both feet at home in Juba’s Gudele two suburb, allegedly with hot water by a woman who lives at the same compound.
The mother to the baby who identified herself as Monica Michael disclosed the incident to No. 1 Citizen Daily Newspaper’s reporter on Tuesday afternoon.
Monica narrated that she decided not to go out to work to look after her sister-in-law at home who just gave birth and was plaiting her neighbour’s hair when the culprit came over and took the child, claiming to bath the baby and as usual she allowed her.
The perpetrator identified only by her single name Yawa, reportedly poured the hot water in a basin and left some in the saucepan boiling, while it was drizzling and insisted to bath the baby inside because of the drizzle.
The mother of the baby further recounted the baby started to cry and it took long that her cry attracted her (mother) concern on the cause of her constant yelling.
“The woman while bathing the child, the baby started crying seriously but I as a mother thought it was the normal thing of children crying over fear of the water but the child kept crying terribly then I asked the woman to bring the baby, she didn’t want to bring,” she lamented.
Monica said she continued to call for the baby to be carried to her but thereafter, Yawa immediately ran out with the baby while the feet were covered by a towel, she then removed the towel after releasing that something was wrong just to find out that her baby was burnt on her feet.
The mother further said she rushed immediately placed her hand into the water in the basin but the water was warm, she then checked in the kitchen to find the water boiling, thereafter she noticed that her baby’s feet was put inside the hot water.
Monica said she questioned the woman on the action, and Yawa claimed that the baby’s aunty, (sister to the mother of the baby) had told that her husband has been sleeping (playing sex) with the baby’s mother.
The baby was then immediately rushed to Juba Teaching Hospital, while Yawa, and the baby’s aunt were taken to custody at Kuburi Haboba police station.
The mother whose husband is in Yambio and she lives alone in Juba said they have decided to bring the baby home and they will only be taking her for dressing from home until she recovers.
Juma Philip, uncle to the baby said he was not around when the incident occurred and was not alerted till 11:00 am by the young sister who is under police custody since he resides in custom.
He said after the court hearing and judgment is passed, he will expect them home such that they will also handle it at family level.