Domestic violence: Court to rule on Josina Machel case on the 21st of this month

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Domestic violence: Court to rule on Josina Machel case on the 21st of this month

11:35 CAT | 08 Feb 2017

O País / Josina Machel photographed during a court hearing

The verdict on the domestic violence case involving Josina Machel, the daughter of the first president of Mozambique, and her ex-boyfriend, Rufino Licuco, will be announced on February 21st.

Yesterday, final arguments were presented by the public prosecutor’s office, the plaintiff’s assistant and the defence. Speaking after the two-hour session, Graça Machel, the mother of the deceased Josina Machel, said that she could not comment on a case whose outcome was not yet known. “Everything is in the hands of the judge. We have full confidence in her,” Graça Machel said in a short statement.

Josina Machel’s brother, Malenga Machel, asked the press to remain impartial so as to avoid influencing the ruling.

“There has been a lot of confusion and speculation during this trial. There have been messages circulating that are not factual, and in several cases we feel the media has not been unbiased. As a family, we take the position of letting the court work because we respect the law and the judges. We want impartiality and facts,” Malenga Machel said.