Maria Amakali
Windhoek-A woman who was arrested in 2016 for allegedly abusing a child left in her care is yet to be traced. Eight months after the court issued a warrant of arrest against her, Hilma Niionga Shiningwe (39), is still to be detained.
Shiningwe faces a charge of ill-treatment or neglect, which amounts to contravening Section 18 of the Children’s Act of 1960 to which she pleaded not guilty.
Shiningwe was meant to go under mental observation last year to determine if she was of sound mind when she committed the offence. However, at the time there was no space at the facility for her to be admitted. The family requested that she be placed into their care until she is admitted into the hospital. However, she failed to pitch up and make an appearance in court. Shiningwe was arrested in September 2016 for allegedly mistreating a three-year-old boy, whom she locked in a cupboard for approximately six hours.
According to the prosecution, Shiningwe was employed as a nanny when she hit the child left in her care before locking him inside a cupboard from 09h00 until 15h00 at a home in Hochland Park, Windhoek. The child emerged from the ordeal weak and sickly.
Shiningwe, a self-proclaimed prophet, during one of her court appearances said she is convinced that a demon had taken over the boy and that God had told her to put the boy in the cupboard and with time God would reveal the truth.
During her last appearance in court last year, Shiningwe refused to be released on bail declaring that she wished to remain in police custody in order to spread the Word of God as ordered by God himself.