The Ntcheu Senior Resident Magistrate court has sentenced a 21 year-old sex worker, Jenita Matias, to five years in prison for killing an unborn baby.

State prosecutor, Sub inspector Blessings Kajogolo told the court that Matias, who was doing her business at Lizulu Trading Centre got conceived and when she was eight months pregnant, decided to take poison in order to kill the unborn baby.

The court further heard that during the night of February 16-17, 2024, she took poisonous medical drugs and later inserted a wooden stick into her vagina.

“In the course of all this, the child came out dead and she put it in her bag and started off to Mozambique which is her home country but was stopped on her way by villagers who later took her to Lizulu Health Centre,” said Kajongolo.

When appearing in court, she pleaded guilty to the charge levelled against her.

The state prayed for a custodial sentence, saying the act was evil, and that she could have prevented herself from getting pregnancy by getting contraceptive measures rather than killing the eight months old baby.

In mitigation, Matias pleaded for forgiveness, saying she was advised by her colleague who is now on the run.

But Senior Resident Magistrate Joshua Nkhono concurred with the state and sentenced her to five years imprisonment.

Jenita Matias hails from Mthawira Village in Traditional Authority Angonia in Mozambique