A 26-year-old woman of Mnyokane is lucky to be alive after she was hacked and forced to drink a poisonous substance, allegedly by her husband.
The woman is currently admitted at the Pigg’s Peak Government Hospital, where she is receiving medical treatment.
Speaking from her hospital bed, the survivor said she was returning from work when her husband started shouting at her and accusing her of infidelity.
She said she was shocked by the accusations as she was not having an extramarital affair.
The woman alleged that her husband then began assaulting her with fists and kicks all over her body. She said he later hacked her with a bushknife on the right eye, leaving her with a serious injury.
The woman, only identified as Gama, said while she was trying to explain that the accusations were false, the suspect continued attacking her.
“He did this while the house was locked and I could not get out. I tried to raise the alarm but no one heard me,” she said.
Gama added that the suspect later told her that he wanted to kill her. She alleged that he then took a poisonous substance and forced her to drink it.
“I tried to resist drinking it but he beat me every time I refused. I ended up drinking it because he continued beating me,” she said.
She further alleged that after the incident, the suspect called his elder sister, who lives a few metres away, and informed her of what had happened. When the sister arrived with a male relative, they found the woman writhing in pain on the floor.
As they tried to establish what had happened, the suspect allegedly drank the remaining poison in their presence.
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The survivor said before the arrival of the family members, the suspect attempted to give her water so she could vomit the poison, but she refused.
She alleged that he later gave her cooking oil to drink in an attempt to slow the effects of the poison, which she gulped.
She said her family members then panicked and called for help, adding that an ambulance arrived about an hour later and rushed both her and the suspect to the hospital, where they are currently admitted and recovering.
According to a police report, an attempted murder case has been opened.
Additional Context
The incident adds to ongoing concerns around gender-based violence and domestic safety. Authorities are expected to continue investigations as both parties recover.
