Times Of Swaziland: DAD BEATS CHILD (4) TO DEATH, SURRENDERS HIMSELF DAD BEATS CHILD (4) TO DEATH, SURRENDERS HIMSELF ================================================================================ BY MELISA MSWELI on 15/04/2019 09:09:00 NKWALINI – A four-year-old girl has become the latest victim of domestic violence after she was allegedly beaten by her father to the point of death. The incident is said to have happened last Friday at Nkwalini in the outskirts of the capital city. According to information gathered from Norah Maseko, the deceased’s grandmother, Melokuhle Maseko was allegedly assaulted by her father in her presence for not being able to count from one to five on Thursday. She said when she rebuked him; he told her that Melo, as she was affectionately called, was his child. The following day, Melokuhle’s father is said to have come home at around 6pm just as supper was being served. Feed He is said to have called for his daughter to come to him so he could feed her. “Watsi nje nakatsi usutsi wabe amushaya ngemphama watsi usutsini ngobe udle kancane.” loosely translated; “Just when she reported that she was satisfied, he slapped her, telling her that she hadn’t eaten much,” alleged Norah. Hora said her son ordered Melo to come with him to his room where they would do more counting lessons. However, Norah tried to grab the child but the father pushed her back to her chair and left with the minor. The suspect is alleged to have taken the child with him to his room. At around 9pm, he came back screaming, asking Norah to open her window. “When I asked what was wrong, he said something was wrong with Melo,” narrated Norah. When Norah opened the window, she said she saw the minor’s face with bruises underneath both eyes. Her face swollen as well. Norah continued to narrate that the suspect further complained that Melo had just relieved herself on him, which she believed was the time when the minor died. The suspect is said to have taken the child back to his room where he put her to bed and went to search for a car to take her to hospital. Upon arrival at the hospital, the doctor is said to have noted the bruises on the minor’s face and demanded answers from the father. The suspect is alleged to have lied to the doctor that the child was beaten by her ‘father’ who later ran away and that he was only being a good Samaritan. According to Norah, reports she received from the car driver who took them to hospital was that, the doctor declared the child dead upon arrival at the hospital. “My son came back in the early hours to inform me that the child was dead,” explained Norah. She went on to say that it was on a Saturday that the suspect received a call from his aunt who told him to hand himself over to the police and he did.