Man in court for 'assaulting' son, 13

A man was yesterday charged with assaulting his 13-year-old son. The man was accused of whipping the boy, causing him serious injuries on the night of July 6.

The man denied the charge before Nakuru Senior Resident Magistrate Faith Munyi.

Prosecutor Dennis Atika applied to have him held in custody, adding that the victim was admitted to Nairobi Women’s Hospital. “I pray that the bond terms be deferred for a week to establish the condition of the minor,” he said.

The man protested the prosecution's application, saying he was the family's sole bread winner. According to the charge sheet, the minor was sleeping at home when his father arrived at around 1pm and demanded to know why the latter had not been going to school.

Even before the boy could respond, the man allegedly slapped him, prosecution claimed.

He then ordered the minor to undress and later tied his legs and hands with a rope, according to the charge sheet. “Consequently, he assaulted him severely using a whip, dragged him to the bathroom and poured cold water on his body,” the prosecution said.

On July 10, the minor went to school and his class teacher noticed some injuries on his body and ordered him to bring his parent to school.

On July 11, the man accompanied the child to school and narrated what happened, prompting the school management to call police, who arrested him.

The ruling on whether to deny and or admit the man on bond will be delivered today.

Narrating the ordeal from his hospital bed, the Standard Eight pupil said his father remained hostile to him as he cried for help. “He never gave the reason behind the beatings. He tied my hands and legs and took me to sleep on the hard cold floor,” he said.

In the morning, the minor said his elder sisters untied him after their father left for his hotel job in town.