Rofino Licuco denies assaulting Josina Machel

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Rofino Licuco denies assaulting Josina Machel

3:29 CAT | 17 Jan 2017

O País (Edited)

Accompanied by her mother Graça Machel, Josina Machel arrived in the Number One Urban District Court at 9:00 AM. Minutes later, in came Rofino Licuco, accused of assaulting his ex-girlfriend in October 2015. In addition to his attorney, Anita Sumburane, the defendant was accompanied by private security guards.

The trial began one hour later than it was supposed to, in a small room completely full of people. In fact, many people could not attend the session due to the lack of space. Before the session started, the Court ordered that the press leave the room.

But “O País” has knowledge of the private prosecution in which Josina Machel accuses her ex-boyfriend of having punched her three times, including once in the right eye, causing a puncture wound.

The attack happened inside the ex-boyfriend’s car of an in the early hours of 17^th of October 2015, after a disagreement between the two. After receiving first aid treatment in Maputo Central Hospital, Machel underwent surgery twice, first at a private clinic in Maputo and again in Barcelona.

Due to blindness in the right eye, the prosecution submits that the complainant is unable to use the computer, her working tool, has had to reduced her working hours, needs a driver in order to be mobile, and has not overcome the trauma of her assault, limiting her social activism.

As a result, she is demanding compensation of 300 million meticais, which she plans to use in campaigns against domestic violence, including the establishment of a refuge for the rehabilitation of these woman victims.

Licuco denies assaulting Josina Machel and says that after the argument, the complainant left the car abruptly and headed for her vehicle. According to the defense, because she had been drinking, the complainant tripped and fell, damaging her right eye.

On the consumption of alcoholic beverages, the HCM report requested by Graça Machel indicates that Josina Machel was agitated and her breath smelt of alcohol when she went to the hospital emergency department after the assault.

The defendant says that the plaintiff had always had problems in her right eye and had had a transplant 20 years ago.

Licuco has spoken of threats from Josina’s family conveyed by his ex-girlfriend. Concerning allegations that he caused her blindness, the accused claims that Machel had always had a driver and that she had been unemployed since they were together. He also denies that his ex-girlfriend engaged in any social activism and said she could use the computer with one eye.

The accused reportedly found it strange that Josina Machel submitted a complaint to the Mozambican authorities days after receiving treatment. Regarding the costs of hospital treatment, Rofino Licuco offered to pay 566,748.52 meticais and 13,170.81 euros, but Josina Machel says she paid the money back to the defendant.

At the end of the session, Josina Machel´s assistant Abdul Carimo and Rofino Licuco´s attorney Anita Sumburane declined to issue a statement to the press.

Source: O País