By ALICE NACHILEMBE
A-32-year- old Business woman of Kitwe and her friend have been arrested for allegedly stealing a street Girls child on pretext that she will take care of her and the child.
The woman is purportedly engaged to a man who stay out of town and she had told him that she was pregnant and had given birth, hence the stealing of the child.
The unknown man had promised to visit the suspect in Kitwe and welcome their child.
Copperbelt Police Commanding Officer Peacewell Mweemba said an outreach field worker Febby Fulaula reported on behalf of an-18-year-Old adult Juvinile of Kitwe’s Kandabwe Township that her newly born baby was stolen by a Kitwe business woman.
He said this occurred between February 8 and 10, 2023 around 07:00 hours and 00:55 hours between Kitwe and Luanshya districts.
Mr Mweemba said that brief facts are that the outreach officer belongs to an orphanage and has been a friend to street kids.
He said a few months back, she noticed one street girl pregnant and took the step to be-friend her, which she managed and continued to monitor her health.
Mr Mweemba said on February 13, 2023 the complainant met the street girl but was surprised to see her with no pregnancy or a child and she became concerned, especially since the pregnancy had been so visible and in the early stages.
He said after an inquiry the girl explained that her friend also of Kandabwe introduced her to someone she did not know well, who took care of her.
“She narrated that this unknown lady had taken her to see a doctor in Luanshya on February 9, 2023 so that she is examined. The doctor examined her, and from that time, she could not remember what transpired, only to find her admitted to Kitwe Teaching Hospital without a child or pregnancy. After two days, she was discharged.
“Later, a report was made to Police and an inquiry file was opened. Investigations were immediately instituted, which led to the apprehension of the suspect on February 14, 2023. After being interviewed, it was established that actually, the suspect, had approached the pregnant street girl through her friend, and presented herself as someone running an orphanage,” he said.
Mr Mweemba said the suspect was interested in taking care the street girl and her unborn child.
He said on February 8, 2023 around 14.00hours the suspect in the company of her friend took the pregnant girl for medical checkups at Sinozam Hospital where it was discovered through a scan that the pregnancy was seven months, and the unborn child was a boy weighing 1.6 kilograms.
Mr Mweemba said on February 9, 2023, the suspect, together with her and the pregnant street girl went to Luanshya at Thomson Hospital where the delivery was done around 14.00hrs, but reported that the child died at midnight.
And on February 10 2023 around 17.00hrs, the suspect and her friend, together with the street girl, left Luanshya for Kitwe.
Investigations are ongoing the child’s DNA will be done to asses if she is the mother.
