Tragedy hits family in Blantyre

The choices were stark for Evelyn Jeremiah: save her marriage or her daughter. It was a slippery ground that ultimately cost Evelyn both her daughter and husband.

In a case high on drama and tragic intrigue, 21-month-old Agnes Jeremiah lost her life on April 22 2013 due to complications four months after she was defiled.

The toddler’s father, Frank Jeremiah, stands accused of committing the heinous crime and is currently on remand at Chichiri Maximum Security Prison in Blantyre awaiting trial.

With unwavering love for her beloved man tugging at her heartstrings, Evelyn decided to conceal the defilement to save him from prosecution.

But the dictates of fate meant that eventually the law caught up with him, while for little Agnes, it was too late to save her.

It took the intervention of concerned neighbours and a non-governmental organisation (NGO) called Fresh Love to expose Agnes’s plight on the road to justice and tragedy. However, the intervention came too late as the girl never lived to see the justice because she died at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital (QECH) in Blantyre.

Her father is in custody over the heinous crime. From his remand at Chichiri Prison in Blantyre, 30-year-old Jeremiah has asked his wife to forgive him, according to Evelyn.

For the young mother of four, life must go on without their breadwinner, a mini bus call boy who operated from Chichiri Stadium bus stage.

Blantyre Police assistant spokesperson Lameck Thembachako said on Thursday that while Jeremiah was behind bars awaiting trial, Evelyn’s suppression of the crime to protect her husband led to the loss of vital evidence.

“If no one had intervened, we would never have arrested Jeremiah. The alleged crime would have gone unreported. She kept the baby at home, thereby endangering her further from abuse as well as infection,” said Thembachako.

He said police do not have a medical report on Agnes, but the matter is in court. Even Jeremiah’s initial bail had nothing to do with the police.

“One of the police officers offered to stand in as Agnes’s guardian because the mother refused to cooperate as a complainant. She even camped outside Blantyre Police Station and enquired why her husband had been re-arrested after the courts gave him bail,” he said.

It all began in January.

Two days after she returned home from her village in Lirangwe, Blantyre, Evelyn noticed that her daughter’s private parts were severely bruised and swollen. She also detected fresh semen on Agnes’ private parts.

Evelyn told Nation on Sunday that the girl had difficulties sitting and cried constantly.

While her mother was away in Lirangwe, Agnes was in the care of Jeremiah and his step sons Dave, seven, and Enock, nine, at their home in Ndirande township.

On the journey to Lirangwe, she took along her one-month-old baby and her other daughter, Mercy, five.

“I asked my husband to assist me with Agnes and the two boys. He was reluctant but later agreed after I suggested to him to take the baby to her grandmother. Upon return three days later, I realised that he did not leave the child with her grandmother, but I did not suspect anything. I knew him as a loving person.

“I found the child asleep with her father. It was at 8pm on a Wednesday. The following morning, I prepared porridge and bathed Agnes. Although she showed signs of pain, I thought nothing serious of it and carried on the day as usual,” said Evelyn.

She said two days after returning home, she noticed that Agnes would cry when defaecating.

Upon close examination, Evelyn said she was greeted by a foul smell from the girl’s private parts which looked red from bruises and were smeared with semen.

“I rushed into the house to show my husband and seek an explanation. He was of little help because he was sleeping and drunk at 1pm. He expressed ignorance about what had happened to the girl and denied defiling her while we were at Ndirande Dispensary.

“Since it was a Friday, the clinic asked us to return on Monday because it had closed for business. One of my neighbours confirmed that the girl had been defiled after inspecting her,” said Evelyn.

The couple returned home, but Evelyn said she was advised by friends to buy medication to help flush out whatever may have been deposited in the girl. She did, and administered the drug for three days before Fresh Love intervened.

She claimed she was convinced that it was her husband who defiled the girl.

According to Evelyn, Fresh Love chairperson Steve Belesoni took Agnes to QECH a week later. She agreed that most of the evidence had been lost, but defended herself that she was ignorant of procedures.

Evelyn said the baby’s condition worsened over time and was admitted to the hospital.

Evelyn’s neighbour, Eunice Mtuwa, confirmed that the woman came to her over suspicions that Agnes had been defiled while she was away.

Mtuwa said she observed blood and enlargement of the girls’ private parts and advised Evelyn to go to the police.

“I went to check on her two days after our meeting and found both parents at home. I was shocked to learn that she never reported the matter to police,” said Mtuwa.

Three days after the NGO’s intervention, Evelyn said Jeremiah was arrested in February and given bail in July. He was re-arrested in August.

Evelyn said she met President Joyce Banda during her daughter’s admission at QECH when the President was officially opening the one-stop centre at the hospital in July.

“She comforted me and gave me K50 000 [$125] to help Agnes. She offered to build me a house in Lirangwe, but I told her I preferred somewhere else.

“The President also gave me a contact person whom I could call if I needed anything. I called this person when Agnes died and the President sent another K50 000 (about $125) to help with the funeral. I have been calling the person, but I am only assured that the message would be delivered to the President,” she said.

Belesoni said he was tipped about the Jeremiahs by a concerned neighbour. He said Agnes was in serious condition when he first met her, hence his facilitation to take her to QECH.

He said there were questions over Jeremiah’s bail, a situation that led to his re-arrest after the President’s intervention.

“Indeed, State House has been in touch with Evelyn and assisted her with cash during Agnes’s illness and funeral,” said Belesoni.

Minister of Gender, Women and Children Affairs Anita Kalinde confirmed the President’s involvement in Evelyn’ plight and her ministry’s knowledge of the case.

But she asked for time to get details of how far her assistance has gone.