Durban - A two-year-old boy who had boiling water thrown on him by an armed robber is a shadow of his former self after the horrific ordeal.
Ahmed Lakhi jr was a bubbly, jovial child by nature, always friendly and full of energy.
After the attack, the child cried for days and was restless for months, unable to sleep through the night. He also slept in his parents’ bed for years after the assault.
The boy would also scream at people who came near him in public and became afraid whenever he heard a kettle boil. The wounds Ahmed sustained as a result of the boiling water being thrown on him also became infected, which resulted in more pain and an ongoing fever.
This was revealed in a victim impact statement submitted in aggravation of sentence of three men convicted for the aggravated robbery of the Lakhi family, at the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Monday, by the child’s cousin, Sumaiya Vally.
The men, Mvusi Dlamini, 30, a mechanic from uMlazi, Lucky Mbonambi, 28, a taxi driver, and Siya bonga Mchunu, 34, were convicted by Judge Nkosinathi Chili of robbery with aggravating circumstances related to the robbery at Albert Falls in February 2012.
On February 26, 2012, Ahmed Lakhi’s family were hosting relatives (the Vally family) at their home.
The robbers, armed with firearms, stormed the house and held them at gunpoint. To induce them to hand over their valuables, Dlamini, who was identified by the victims, set a kettle to boil and poured the water onto Lakhi’s two-year-old son and his 10-year-old niece. The robbers then made off with thousands in cash, cellphones, jewellery, bank cards and a 9mm pistol.
Chili convicted the three men of robbery with aggravating circumstances, but found only Dlamini was responsible for the attack on 15-year-old Basheera Lakhi and two-year-old Ahmed. Both children had boiling water poured on their bodies.
Referring to Basheera Lakhi, who also sustained burns from the boiling water, Vally said the girl was so traumatised that she had to move out of her family home. She also missed two months of school as a result of her physical and emotional trauma.
The teenager was prescribed sleeping tablets to help her sleep, but became addicted to them. She has since been referred to a psychiatrist.
Vally said that Ahmed Lakhi sr, (the grandfather of Ahmed Lakhi jr), passed away some time after the incident. “He had an existing heart condition, and his heart weakened considerably after the incident. Guilt had eaten away at him as he felt that guests were attacked in his home, including his grandchild, who was the apple of his eye,” Vally said.
She said she and members of her family had been diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. Vally said she also lost little Ahmed’s trust the night of the robbery, because she was holding him at the time the boiling water was thrown on him.
“It has broken my heart into pieces. After that incident he would not come to me or even near me. This has been really painful for me. Not having any kids of my own, I feel like I was robbed on that night of the purest love of an innocent child,” Vally said.
Chili will deliver sentence on Friday.
Daily News