Aletta Shikololo

OSHAKATI – A 27-year-old woman, who was accused of murdering her newborn son by feeding him methylated spirit and later burning his body in the mahangu field, has pleaded guilty on counts of murder and defeating or attempting to defeat the course of justice. 

Hilde Tshekupe Iita appeared in the Oshakati High Court on Friday and was subsequently convicted.

 Iita is expected to return to court on Thursday on arguments of mitigation and aggravation of sentencing.

On 12 March 2020, Iita gave birth to a baby boy in the Oshakati Intermediate Hospital.

The following day, after she was discharged from hospital, she fed the baby with methylated spirit, which resulted to his death.

“I tried to breastfeed my child but my breast didn’t produce milk, and the baby started crying. I fed the baby methylated spirit because I intended to kill my baby boy. I killed him because my breast did not produce milk and the child was crying too much,” she said in a statement read to the court.

On 14 March 2020, Iita wrapped the corpse in a blanket and placed it in a travelling bag. She then took a lift to her village, Okeendapa in the district of Okahao, Omusati region.

At around 18h00 the same day, she set the corpse on fire in the mahangu field in an attempt to destroy the body so that nobody could find out about it.

According to her statement, some parts did not burn completely, so she removed those parts and threw them in the grass near the mahangu field.

Iita was then arrested the same day and released on N$500 bail in March 2021.

The mother of two told New Era she had thoughts of aborting the pregnancy when she was three months pregnant but she did not have the means to.

“I have always wanted to get rid of the baby. There was a voice in my head, telling me to kill my baby since I was three months pregnant,” she said.

Asked if she sought psychological help or told anyone about it, she said she did not understand what was wrong with her.

“ I didn’t tell anyone.”

Asked how she felt and what was going through her mind while burning her child, she said: “I didn’t feel anything”.

Recalling the evening she gruesomely set her son’s corpse on fire, Iita said, “ I carried the corpse from the house to the field, gathered the mahangu stalks, lit it and threw the corpse in the fire”.

Moments after throwing the body in the fire, Iita said she stood still, watching the body of her son burning to ashes.

Ready for jail

Iita, who was already carrying her belongings, demanded to be taken to holding cells while she awaits her next court hearing.

“I don’t want to go back home. I have already told my landlord I am not coming back anymore. Are there no holding cells in Oshakati, where I can be kept while waiting for Thursday?” she asked.

Despited Iita claiming not to have transport money to go back home, she refused to accept the money that was being offered to her to take a lift back home. 

“Knowing what I have done, I am ready to go to jail,” she said.

Although she demanded to be locked up, Iita, who is currently eight months pregnant, said she only has one big fear – and that is to “give birth in jail”.

“Is it safe to give birth in jail?” she asked.

The state is represented by advocate Nelao Ya France.

Iita is being represented by Petrus Grusshaber.

- ashikololo@nepc.com.na