Crimes and Courts Correspondent
www.zimgbcnews.co.zw
A 42-year-old woman from Maramba village in Chingwizi, Mwenezi, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for abusing an orphaned boy under her care.
Mateure Manyengedze was found guilty of subjecting the eight-year-old to horrifying punishment after he accidentally defecated on his blankets while asleep.
Manyengedze’s cruel actions were revealed in court, where it was heard that she forced the child to eat his own excrement before beating him unconscious with a plank.
She then locked him up in a goat pen, where he remained for the rest of the night.
“The act is one of the most barbaric and inhumane forms of child abuse,” said a police spokesperson, condemning Manyengedze’s actions.
Manyengedze had been left in custody of the boy following the death of his mother last year. The whereabouts of his father are unknown. The abuse came to light after the boy complained to other villagers about his ordeal.
Disturbed by the boy’s account, the villagers reported the matter to the police, leading to Manyengedze’s arrest on November 18 this year. Despite initially denying the charges, Manyengedze was convicted after a full trial.
The court found her guilty of child abuse, with the Magistrate imposing a 10-year prison sentence.
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