By: Kelvin Chiringa
A few years ago, a defenceless three-month old boy was murdered at the hands of his own father, Dawid Amseb and the court has now moved in to severely punish him with life in jail.
This also means that he will serve at least 25 years before he becomes eligible for parole, although it is not always easy to come by.
Gobabis based Amseb sent shock waves for this brutal murder after his lover insinuated that the child was her ex-boyfriend’s and thus could not be registered in his name.
The High Court judge painted a horrific picture of what transpired on that fateful day, saying the pain the child experienced is unimaginable.
He went on to slam Amseb for never demonstrating that he was deeply moved and sorry for the barbaric act of criminality he committed.
The young-man, whose mood was gloomy when he showed up for his sentencing this week Tuesday will also serve a one year sentence for common assault to run concurrently with the count of murder.
He was immediately whisked away by Namibian police agents.
Passing the sentence, the judge indicated that the convicted murderer, who grew up without a father figure in his life, had committed a grievous crime which outweighed his personal circumstances.
His judgement was motivated by the interest of society as well as the gravity of the crime.
Amseb killed his son by smashing him with such brutal force that he died of head injuries, the judge said.
The convict’s educational qualifications do not go anywhere beyond grade six and he was employed as a far worker in Gobabis.
However, the judge ruled that the crime had been committed in a domestic setting adding that domestic violence will not be tolerated and the courts will pass heavy sentences against perpetrators.
‘’There is no doubt that murder is a serious offense. The crime was committed against a defenceless child. Gender based violence against women and children continue unabated and the courts should combat this by imposing lengthy sentences,’’ the judge remarked.
