12-Year-Old Girl Suffers Permanent Finger Deformity Over ₦500 Theft Claim

You wouldn't believe the horrific punishment a 12-year-old girl received at the hands of a family she was staying with over a claim of stealing ₦500. According to Dr. Tortiv Msen, the doctor who treated the girl at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, the family subjected her to severe burns, leaving her finger permanently deformed.

The girl's parents live in a village and had sent her to stay with another family in town. That family accused her of stealing ₦500, but it was later found out that one of the family members, who confessed to the police, took the money and not the poor girl. Dr. Msen expressed concern over the treatment of children entrusted to the care of other adults, stating that parents should look beyond material possessions and pray for the strength and longevity to remain present in their children's lives.

The girl was brought to the hospital by a middle-aged female police officer about 10 days after she sustained the burn. Dr. Msen alleged that the family forced her to continue house chores without wound care even as her finger worsened. The doctor said it took the intervention of neighbours to rescue the girl and alert the police.

The incident highlights the need for adequate care and protection for children entrusted to the care of other adults. Dr. Msen urged parents to be present and strong enough to care for their children, saying, 'As parents, praying for longevity is beyond our cravings for the beautiful things of this world, but that we may be there and strong enough to care for our children.'

The girl will likely carry the physical reminder of the alleged abuse for the rest of her life. Dr. Msen said, 'The little girl will grow up with a deformed finger constantly reminding her of how below the bare minimum adults around her fell.'

Note: Dr. Tortiv Msen is a doctor at the Benue State University Teaching Hospital.