Police in Mulanje have arrested a 38-year-old woman for allegedly torching her son’s hands over the stolen piece of chicken.

Mulanje Police Publicist Gresham Nkhwazi confirmed of the development in an interview with the press and identified the suspect as Julita Matias.

According to Nkhwazi, the suspect with her husband left for the garden on Saturday leaving her son Kingsley Mame at home.

He said when she returned home she found out that a piece of already prepared chicken missing in the pot.

“So she suspected the child had eaten it. As one of punishing the child, the woman burned the child’s hands,” said Nkhwazi.

The victim was not taken to the hospital for three days until his brother, Noel Mame, 16, reported the matter to the village headman who later on took up with the issue with Namulenga police unit, leading to the arrest of the woman.

The suspect hails from Majikuta village in the area of Senior Traditional authority (S/T/A) Mpunga in Chiradzulu district.