By Latrishka Thomas
The prosecution has finally closed its case in a child abuse case that has been on the court’s docket for almost three years.
But the legal battle is not yet over for the married couple who are accused of endangering their son when he was 15 by severely beating him.
Yesterday, the lead investigator finished giving evidence in the trial, finally bringing that part to a close.
However, the defendant’s lawyer, Saska Diamond, indicated that she intends to file a ‘no case’ submission.
The alleged incident occurred on July 28 2020 in Potters.
After a long wait, the trial against them finally began in October 2021.
And it consisted of testimony from the child who told the court that he had received 65 “strokes” from his father on one of his hands after his stepmother kept a tally of punishments that were due to him for alleged misdemeanours until his father could administer them.
He said that he typically got 15 to 20 lashes for serious wrongdoing.
But one night he got 65 blows compiled from things he’d apparently done while his father was away, he said.
He disclosed that he was being punished because he stole a donkey, lied, and did not stop his brother from taking a bucket that they used to hold cane before selling it.
Other witnesses, including a local resident plus a neighbour who reported the matter to the police, claimed to have seen the child with bruises.
The lead investigator began testifying months ago and continued to be cross examined yesterday.
She told the court that she had not seen any bruises on the complainant when she took over the matter days later and said she was sure photos of the injuries were taken but did not know where they are.
Chief Magistrate Joanne Walsh will rule on that submission on June 29.