A couple were today jailed for life for the 'sadistic' torture and drowning a teenage boy they accused of being a witch.
Kristy Bamu, 15, died on Christmas day 2010 after suffering four days of horrific abuse at the hands of his sister Magalie, 29, and her partner, Eric Bikubi, 28, in their flat in Newham, east London.
The pair used weapons including a metal bar, hammer, chisel, pliers and even heavy ceramic floor tiles to inflict 130 injuries on Kristy, after he refused to say he was a witch.The teenager eventually drowned in the bath in front of his four terrified siblings as Bikubi hosed them down with freezing water in an abhorrent ‘cleansing’ ritual.
Football coach Bikubi and Magalie were found guilty of murder at the Old Bailey last week. Today Bikubi was ordered to serve at least 30 years and Bamu a minimum of 25 years.
Sentencing, Judge David Paget told the couple the case was particularly serious and involved sadistic behaviour.
'It was prolonged torture involving metal and physical suffering being inflicted before death,' he said adding: ‘I am in no doubt that this murder did involve a sadistic element.'
He told Bikubi that he accepted his mental damage may have made him more inclined to believe Kristy was a witch and a threat to the young child of the family.But added: 'The belief in witchcraft, however genuine, cannot excuse an assault to another person, let alone the killing of another human being.'
He told Magalie he did not accept her denial of belief in witchcraft and that she was forced to attack Kristy by Bikubi.'It is only explicable if you shared Eric Bikubi's belief. It provides some explanation for what happened, but it does not excuse it,' he told her.
Judge Paget said the couple had also attacked Kristy’s sisters but he would not pass separate sentences for that.He added: 'The ordeal they were subjected to almost surpasses belief.'
Kristy had come to London from Paris with his two brothers and two sisters to spend the festive season with Magalie.
But things turned sour when Kristy wet himself and the couple, who were said to be obsessed with witchcraft known as kindoki in their native Democratic Republic of Congo, accused him of witchcraft.
Bikubi, a heavily-built sportsman, accused the teenager of trying to control another child in the house and of orchestrating a series of unlucky events, the court had heard.
He punched, kicked and headbutted his victim before beating him with a metal weight-lifting bar ‘as hard as he could’ and knocking out his teeth with a hammer
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Posted: at 5-03-2012 10:30 PM (12 years ago) | Addicted Hero
open_reality at 6-03-2012 02:53 AM (12 years ago) (f)
Jailed for life...................and millions £'s cost to the British taxpayer to keep them in luxury behind bars! These parasites deserve nothing less than to be strung up or subjected to the same barbaric practices for which they heaped upon their victim...... maybe then and only then will the people of uk/congo see justice being served!
KINDLY IGNORE ANY TYPING ERROR, IT'S CALLED SLIP OF FINGER. R.I.P HATERS.
Posted: at 6-03-2012 02:53 AM (12 years ago) | Gistmaniac