Man Accidentally Kills 8-Year-Old Daughter While Attempting To Hit Wife During Fight

An 8-year-old girl died in Kenya after her father accidentally hit her with a wooden object while attempting to strike the victim’s mother during a domestic brawl, authorities said.

According to the police, 21-year-old Esther Kaiseyi and 30-year-old Amos Maengwe were having a heated argument at their home in Kilgoris, a town in Kenya, on Monday evening when the man attempted to hit his wife with a wooden object. But he missed the target and ended up dealing a deadly blow on his daughter, K24 TV reported.

The girl suffered a deep cut on the head and was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition.

"The two Esther Kaiseyi, 21 and Amos Maengwe, 30, who were on each other’s throats in the 10 pm incident, immediately stopped their fight and together carried their daughter to hospital for medical attention," the police said in a statement.

Along the way to the hospital, the couple was “stopped by police officers on patrol who owing to the condition of the little girl who had a deep cut on her head, rushed them to nearby Kilgoris sub-county hospital to help save the life of the minor," the statement added, according to Standard Media reported.

Unfortunately, the girl’s condition deteriorated at the hospital and despite best efforts by the doctors, she couldn’t be saved. Following her death, the girl’s parents were taken into custody.

"The two parents are currently being held at Kilgori’s police station, as detectives finalize their investigations before arraigning them in court," the police said.

In 2020, the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics conducted a study that showed that 23.6 percent of Kenyans have either witnessed or heard cases of domestic violence in their communities since the COVID-induced lockdown began.

At least 810 cases of domestic violence were reported in September 2020 compared to 646 cases in August that year, which is an increase of 25 percent.

Another study, undertaken by Kenya's Ministry of Health and Population Council in April 2020, showed that at least 39 percent of women and 32 percent of men were experiencing tensions in their households following the onset of the COVID pandemic.