{
  "id": 593933,
  "title": "12-year-old suffers permanent finger deformity over ₦500 theft claim – Doctor",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/12-year-old-suffers-permanent-finger-deformity-over-500-theft-claim-593933",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-08-11T19:24:52.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Punch",
    "slug": "punch",
    "url": "https://punchng.com/12-year-old-suffers-permanent-finger-deformity-over-%e2%82%a6500-theft-claim-doctor/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "A 12-year-old girl has suffered severe burns and permanent deformity to her index finger after allegedly being punished by a family she was staying with for stealing ₦500, according to a doctor from the Benue State University Teaching Hospital. The incident was reported by Dr. Tortiv Msen in a Facebook post. The girl was brought to the hospital by a police officer about 10 days after sustaining the burn. Her parents, who lived in a village, had sent her to stay with another family in town. The family accused her of the theft and subjected her to severe punishment, burning her finger until it was deformed. Despite the injury, the family forced her to continue with household chores and did not provide proper wound care. Neighbors eventually rescued the girl and alerted the police. Subsequent investigation revealed that one of the family members had taken the missing money, not the girl. Dr. Msen expressed concern over the treatment of children in the care of other adults and urged parents to prioritize their children's presence and care over material possessions.",
  "summary": "A 12-year-old girl in Nigeria suffered permanent finger deformity after alleged child abuse over a N500 theft claim. Discover the shocking details of this Read More: https://punchng.com/12-year-old-suffers-permanent-finger-deformity-over-%e2%82%a6500-theft-claim-doctor/",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Punch Nigeria",
        "title": "12-year-old suffers permanent finger deformity over ₦500 theft claim – Doctor",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/11/12-year-old-suffers-permanent-finger-deformity-over-500-theft-claim",
        "published": "2026-08-11T19:02:52.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}