Abomey-Calavi Court: Stepmother sentenced for attempted appropriation of her stepdaughter’s property
On this Wednesday, July 2, 2025, the court of Abomey-Calavi delivered its verdict in a family case involving a dispute between a woman and her mother-in-law. At the heart of the dispute was a succession issue revolving around real estate property, simmering ethnic tensions, and alleged violence.
Justice @currentschoolnews.com
As per the facts presented in the hearing, the accused was said to have initially disapproved of her son’s union with a woman from a different ethnic group. Despite her objections, the young man married the woman he loved, and the couple welcomed a child. Two months after the birth, the husband passed away.
Shortly after the death, the mother of the deceased moved into the marital home. She claimed to have contributed to the acquisition of the land and the construction of the house, a contention she made against the decision of the family council, which had appointed another trustee for the estate.
The dispute, according to the prosecution, escalated into altercations, with acts of violence that the mother-in-law allegedly inflicted on the widow. The latter then approached the court to enforce her rights and seek redress.
At the conclusion of the hearing, the court sentenced the defendant to three months of suspended imprisonment, acknowledging the facts of violence without bloodshed, but recognizing the severity of the disturbance caused in the context of mourning and vulnerability.