Medic reveals 12-year-old left with lifelong finger disfigurement amid allegations of stealing ₦500.

n n

A 12-year-old girl has suffered severe burns and permanent deformity to her index finger after she was allegedly punished by a family she was staying with over an accusation that she stole ₦500.

n

The incident was disclosed by a doctor from the Benue State University Teaching Hospital, Dr Tortiv Msen, in a Facebook post on Tuesday. He said he was the doctor on call when the girl was brought to the emergency paediatric unit.

n

According to Msen, the girl was brought to the hospital by a middle-aged female police officer about 10 days after she sustained the burn.

n

He said the girl’s parents lived in a village and had sent her to stay with another family in town.

n

“The girl’s parents live in a village, so she has been sent to stay with another family in town. That family accused her of stealing ₦500,” Msen said.

n

He alleged that the family subjected the girl to severe punishment by burning her finger, leaving it permanently deformed.

n

“They subjected her to a hellfire punishment, burning her finger until it was deformed,” he said.

n

According to the doctor, the girl was subsequently made to continue carrying out household chores despite the injury and without receiving proper wound care.

n

“They forced her to continue house chores without wound care even as her finger worsened. No pain compares to that of a burn,” he said.

n

Msen said it took the intervention of neighbours to rescue the girl and alert the police.

n

He added that subsequent investigation revealed that the girl was not responsible for the missing money, as one of the family members allegedly confessed to taking it.

n

“It was later found out that one of the family members, who confessed to the police, took the money and not the poor girl,” he said.

n

The doctor said the incident had remained with him, expressing concern over the treatment of children entrusted to the care of other adults.

n

“That moment stayed with me,” he said.

n

Msen urged parents to look beyond material possessions and pray for the strength and longevity to remain present in their children’s lives.

n

“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,” he said.

n

He said the girl would likely carry the physical reminder of the alleged abuse for the rest of her life.

n

“The little girl will grow up with a deformed finger constantly reminding her of how below the bare minimum adults around her fell,” Msen said.

n n