By Ijoo Bosco
A man has been arrested in Magwi County after he accidentally struck and killed his own one-and-a-half-year-old child during a fight with his wife at a funeral gathering.
According to local authorities, the incident occurred around 2 AM on the 27th. The mother had picked a quarrel with her husband, leading to a physical altercation.
1st Lt. Atanga David, the crime officer for Magwi County police, stated that the authorities have decided to detain the man, as he was responsible for the child’s death, while the wife remains at the funeral site under investigation.
“The incident happened at a funeral rite. The mother started quarrelling with the husband, and in the process, the husband tried to hit the wife. The stick went and hit the baby instead,” Atanga explained.
“People separated the two families and found that the baby who was hit had died. We are holding the man, whose name is Daniel Comboni. The deceased child’s name was Ruwote Omia, who was one and half years old.”
Aldo Ojara Akuilino, the paramount chief in Magwi County, attributed the incident to excessive alcohol consumption.
“They were fighting, and the wife was carrying the baby on her back. He wanted to hit his wife, but unfortunately, he hit the baby instead,” Ojara said.
“After they were separated, the baby was taken to the hospital but passed away. The cause was alcohol – they were both drunk. I advise people to reduce their alcohol intake, as it can lead to family breakdowns.”
Charles Onen Lokwaruk, the chairperson of civil society network in Eastern Equatoria, condemned the gender-based violence and called on the local community to respect each other’s rights and refrain from violence, especially in front of children.
“We call upon our community to respect the rights of each other and avoid violence, especially in front of children. Violence that leads to the loss of life of a man, woman, or child is unacceptable,” Lokwaruk stated.
The authorities have arrested the man and are conducting further investigations into the incident.