Mother to Face Trial for Baby's Murder

A former police officer, who was found guilty of killing her one-year-old son in the Kharas area in January 2023, is set to receive her sent...

A former police officer, who was found guilty of killing her one-year-old son in the Kharas area in January 2023, is set to receive her sentence at the Windhoek High Court tomorrow.

Lucia Boois (37) is set to receive a sentence for a murder charge, combined with the terms of the Combating Domestic Violence Act, and a charge of hindering or interfering with the administration of justice, which Judge Philanda Christiaan ruled her guilty of on Tuesday.

Christiaan discovered that the state demonstrated during Boois' trial that she was responsible for killing her son, Amare Boois, at a farm located in the Bethanie region on 12 January 2023, after which she buried his body in a shallow grave.

A one-year-old named Amare passed away due to multiple stab injuries, according to a doctor's findings in a post-mortem report.

He received eight stab wounds to the neck and seven to the abdomen and back, the court was told.

Christiaan, in her assessment, remarked that at his age, Amare was "completely vulnerable."

Boois, the judge stated, "she equipped herself with a sharp object and delivered multiple strikes to the critical areas of his tiny body."

Christiaan also said: "After the attack, she left the child buried face down in a shallow grave in a remote area of open grassland."

During Boois' trial, which began in August of this year, the court was informed that a Bible was discovered lying on Amare's body when the grave where he had been interred was opened.

The court heard that Boois' footprints were traced from the grave, and she was discovered lying beneath a tree approximately 9 kilometers away from where Amare had been buried.

Christiaan shared that, as per a police officer, when the officer came near her, she stated: "I know why you are searching for me, I murdered my child."

The police officer noted self-harm wounds on the inner part of Boois' arms and stated to the court that she also mentioned: "I sent my child to a better place."

The trial of Boois commenced following her referral for psychological evaluation to assess her mental competency for prosecution.

Following the observation period, a psychiatrist informed the court that Boois had been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder along with depressive symptoms, yet she was considered fit to stand trial, although her actions were influenced by reduced criminal responsibility, as Christiaan mentioned in her judgment.

Boois, a former member of the Namibian Police force, chose to go to trial without a lawyer.

She did not question the state's witnesses throughout her trial and also chose not to speak in her own defense.

The state's witnesses comprised Boois' mother and brother, a caretaker from a safe haven for children where Boois had left her son not long after his birth, as well as Amare's biological father and paternal grandmother, who had also taken in Amare at Boois' request.

Christiaan stated that the testimony from these witnesses "depicted the defendant as emotionally unbalanced, overly fixated on the child's care, and susceptible to abrupt and erratic emotional shifts."

She stated: "The witnesses repeatedly portrayed her as unstable, sometimes distant but overly attentive to the baby, and unwilling to accept outside help."

In a statement Boois provided to the police following her arrest, she stated: "I became exhausted by all these issues and chose to end my life and my son's. At least he will no longer endure any more suffering."

There was no logical chance that anyone besides Boois caused the deadly wounds to Amare, Christiaan determined.

She mentioned that Amare was under Boois' care, and she was the only one who accompanied him to a secluded spot, which she eventually left by herself.

"[Boois] orally and in writing admitted that she killed the child. No conflicting story is presented by the evidence," Christiaan stated.

Boois has remained in detention since her arrest.

Prosecution is being represented by state advocate Emma Mayavero in the trial.

The Namibian employs artificial intelligence technologies to enhance quality, precision, and productivity, while ensuring continued editorial control and journalistic ethics.

Copyright 2025 The Namibian. All rights reserved. Shared by AllAfrica Global Media (okay1).

Tagged: Namibia, Pregnancy and Childbirth, Legal and Judicial Affairs, Southern Africa, Health and Medicine

Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (Syndigate.info).