A 35-year-old nursing mother and seamstress is in police custody in Bole after allegedly cutting a 5-year-old girl with a blade and rubbing pepper on her wounds.

The incident came to light on Wednesday, May 20, 2026, when Mempeasem Electoral Area Assembly Member, Hassan Abu Peace Brother, found the injured child behind his house around 7:00 pm.

Speaking to Adom News, the Assembly Member said he spent hours trying to locate the child’s parents, as the girl only referred to her caregiver as “mama.”

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After finding the guardian, he warned her against harming the child after learning she often beat the girl. But the next morning, he received another call.

“An old woman told me the woman will beat the child throughout the night because that’s what she usually does, so I confronted the woman, but she assured me she won’t beat her. Around 6:00 a.m. this morning, however, I received a call that she beat the child and even inflicted blade wounds on her before sending her to school.”

The Assembly Member rushed to the school, alerted police and social welfare officials, and had the suspect arrested when she arrived after being summoned by school authorities.

He urged parents to be careful when leaving children with others.

“If you’re not ready to take care of a child, don’t give birth and hand the child over to someone… every child has the right to live. I’ll support any punishment given to the woman,” he said.

The suspect, Marijana Alhassan, denied cutting the child when interviewed by Adom News at the Bole District Police Station.

Speaking in Waala, she said the girl is her husband’s sister’s child who stays with them when her mother is on study leave.

She described the child as highly dependent and said she was unable to eat, undress, or use the toilet alone, which she said was stressful.

Marijana admitted pushing the child away in frustration but claimed the girl fell on a mopping stick and injured herself. She said she dressed the wound and sent the child to school before being arrested.

She remains in custody and is expected before the Bole District Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Social welfare officials say they are monitoring the child, who is receiving treatment at the Bole District Government Hospital.

NAD/AM

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