Stepfather slashes girl, 13, on the neck after quarrel with mum

Butere Sub County Hospital

Butere Sub County Hospital. A Grade Five pupil is admitted at the facility after her stepfather slashed her neck with a machete.

Photo credit: File | Nation Media Group

A Grade Five pupil from Butere Sub-County, in Kakamega, narrowly escaped death after her stepfather slashed her with a machete, inflicting a deep cut on her neck.

The 13-year-old girl, a pupil at Bukura Primary is admitted at the Butere Sub County Hospital.

The incident was reported at the Ebushitinji police post in Marama North location.

Villagers who were shocked by the incident have called on the police to ensure the suspect, who managed to escape, is arrested and brought to book.

The suspect is reported to have earlier threatened to kill the girl’s mother, Florence Tutu, or one of her children after a domestic quarrel.

The suspect is a jailbird who was released from prison last month.

Ms Tutu, the mother of the girl, said she had moved in with the man for two weeks but they soon parted ways after she got suspicious about his activities.

“The man has been going out at night and returning home around 4am. When I asked him where he has been going, he attacked me and set my clothes and those of my three children on fire,” said Ms Tutu.

She decided to relocate to her parents’ home, a short distance from the suspect’s home after he warned her that she would regret her decision.

“He told me that he will come for my head or that of one of my children. That really scared me,” said Ms Tutu.

According to Bukuradeputy head-teacher, Allan Omina, the pupil was on her way to school on Wednesday morning accompanied by her brother, when the man emerged from a thicket and approached her.

He told the girl that he had some money he wanted to give her for her personal use.

The suspect then lured the girl to a thicket and grabbed her but she fought him off before he drew a machete and slashed her on the neck as she struggled to free herself screaming for help.

A neighbour who heard the screams rushed to the scene and managed to rescue the injured girl.

“I was alerted about the incident and rushed to the scene. I found the girl bleeding profusely with her books strewn on the ground,” said Mr Omina.

He then rushed the pupil to Butere Sub County Hospital.

“When we got to the hospital, the doctors took the girl to the theatre and managed to attend to her and stop the bleeding. She is currently admitted at the hospital,” said Mr Omina.