Mr Respicius Mtazangira and Ms Julieth Gerald, both of Kibeta Primary School, were arraigned before the Bukoba Resident Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murdering Sperius Eradius. The accused were not required to enter a plea because the court lacks jurisdiction over murder cases.
Bukoba. Two teachers appeared in court in Bukoba yesterday charged with murdering a 13-year-old schoolboy.
Mr Respicius Mtazangira and Ms Julieth Gerald, both of Kibeta Primary School, were arraigned before the Bukoba Resident Magistrate’s Court on a charge of murdering Sperius Eradius. The accused were not required to enter a plea because the court lacks jurisdiction over murder cases.
Presiding magistrate John Kapokolo adjourned the case to September 17, and the accused were remanded since the offence they had been charged with is not bailable.
The late Sperius allegedly died last week after he was severely caned for allegedly stealing his teacher’s purse.
Three teachers and a ward educational officer were suspended to pave the way for investigations following the boy’s death.
They are Ms Renatha Izidory, who is the school’s head teacher, her deputy Sunday Elisha and Kibeta Ward education officer Hashimu Mponda.
The Ministry of Health dispatched a pathologist from Bugando Medical Centre (BMC) to Bukoba Municipality to investigate the circumstances in which the boy died.
The Minister of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children, Ms Ummy Mwalimu said last week that an “independent” pathologist had been sent to the district to investigate the matter.
The ministry’s decision came after the family of the deceased said threatened to boycott the boy’s body pending an independent postmortem by doctors from outside the region.
The pupil’s guardian, the Reverend Justus Balilemwa, told The Citizen by telephone that the family was waiting for an independent postmortem promised by the police.
The family rejected a preliminary report issued by Kagera Regional Medical Officer John Mwombeki, which said that the pupil’s body had marks which indicated that he had been beaten a few days before his teachers punished him.
