Woman caught assaulting 6-month-old son in viral video charged
JNN is accused of wilfully subjecting the infant to cruel punishment by physically assaulting and abusing him at their home in Mathare Sub-County, Nairobi on July 13.
A 19-year-old woman who recorded herself allegedly assaulting her six-month-old son and shared the video with the child's father before posting it on social media has been charged with cruelty to a child.
The offence is contrary to Section 18 (1) as read with Section 20 of the Children’s Act, 2001.
JNN is accused of wilfully subjecting the infant to cruel punishment by physically assaulting and abusing him at their home in Mathare Sub-County, Nairobi on July 13.
She is captured in the video, which has gone viral on Instagram, Tiktok, Facebook and WhatsApp groups, hurling insults at the baby while allegedly beating him.
The suspect is seen assaulting the minor while dressing him after a bath.
The matter was reported to an official of a children's rights group in Mathare after seeing it on Instagram, and the NGO official reported the matter to the police.
Before being arrested
Community members who knew the accused helped police and the NGO worker locate the suspect's residence in the area where she was found, but she escaped before being arrested.
Police officers later tracked her down and arrested her after she returned home.
She denied the charges before Senior Principal Magistrate Monica Kivuti of the Makadara Magistrate's Court and pleaded for lenient bail conditions.
The accused was remanded in custody until July 31 to await a pre-trial report before bail conditions are set.
The case will then be mentioned on September 19 before the trial begins on January 25 next year.
The child has been placed in a children's home for his safety while the video is recovered and preserved to be used as evidence in the case against the accused.
