A former police officer who murdered her one-year-old son in the ||Kharas region in January 2023 was sentenced to a prison term of 23 years on Friday.
Judge Philanda Christiaan sentenced Lucia Boois (37) to 23 years’ imprisonment on a charge of murder, read with the provisions of the Combating of Domestic Violence Act, and to a concurrent prison term of two years on a count of defeating or obstructing the course of justice.
Boois was found guilty on the two charges on Tuesday.
The judge found that she murdered her son, Amare Boois, who was one year old, at a farm in the Bethanie area on 12 January 2023 by stabbing him with a sharp object.
Amare was stabbed 15 times, it was recorded in a post-mortem examination report.
“The child was utterly defenseless,” Christiaan remarked during the sentencing.
She also said the killing “strikes at the very core of the constitutional right to life”.
Christiaan recounted that Boois removed Amare from the care of his father’s family at Rehoboth and later travelled with him to the area where he was killed and buried in a shallow grave.
When she was arrested, Boois made a spontaneous admission that she had killed her baby, and in written statements made to the police afterwards she acknowledged that she wanted to kill Amare and take her own life, Christiaan noted.
Boois was the primary caregiver of Amare, but ended his life in a brutal and deliberate attack, Christiaan said.
The court was informed that Boois has been diagnosed with borderline personality disorder, combined with depressive symptoms, and that she had diminished responsibility for her actions.
Her mental state diminished her power of restraint and self-control, Christiaan noted.
Boois was unemployed at the time she committed the murder. She had previously been a member of the Namibian Police, before she resigned from the force.
In an age of information overload, Sunrise is The Namibian’s morning briefing, delivered at 6h00 from Monday to Friday. It offers a curated rundown of the most important stories from the past 24 hours – occasionally with a light, witty touch. It’s an essential way to stay informed. Subscribe and join our newsletter community.
The Namibian uses AI tools to assist with improved quality, accuracy and efficiency, while maintaining editorial oversight and journalistic integrity.
Stay informed with The Namibian – your source for credible journalism. Get in-depth reporting and opinions for
only N$85 a month. Invest in journalism, invest in democracy –
Subscribe Now!
