A Zambian High Court has ordered 27-year-old Mary Kashilika to undergo a mental assessment at Chainama Hills Hospital in Lusaka as she faces two murder charges over the deaths of her co-wife’s young children.
Justice Chipola Bako granted an application by the defence for Kashilika’s mental state to be assessed. The evaluation is expected to help establish her condition at the time of the alleged offence and determine whether she is fit to enter a plea and properly participate in court proceedings.
Kashilika is accused of killing six-year-old Mathias Kamanga and his two-year-old sister, Tifiness Kamanga, in an incident involving Ngwerere Stream in Lusaka.
Earlier reports said the children disappeared while their mother was carrying out household chores. Police investigations alleged that the children were later taken towards the stream. A fisherman was reportedly present at the scene and alerted authorities after allegedly witnessing what happened.
The case attracted considerable attention because the accused and the children’s father were reportedly in a polygamous marriage. Earlier police accounts referred to tensions and disputes within the household, although these remain allegations and will be subject to evidence presented before the court.
Mathias’s body was subsequently recovered and buried, while efforts to locate Tifiness have not resulted in her recovery.
Kashilika was previously committed to the High Court for trial after prosecutors indicated that the case was ready to proceed. The latest order means the mental assessment will now form an important part of the proceedings before the court determines the next stage of the case.
She remains presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty by a court of law.
