A 17-year-old girl, whose name is being withheld due to her age, has been sentenced to two years in prison, wholly suspended for three years, for the strangulation of her 13-year-old stepson.
The tragic incident occurred in Guchutu Village under Chief Chirumanzu, and sparked a concern about child marriages in Zimbabwe.
The young woman appeared before High Court Judge, Justice Munamato Mutevedzi, at the Gweru High Court circuit on Friday, facing a charge of murder. She initially pleaded not guilty but later admitted to the lesser charge of culpable homicide, a plea accepted by the State.
The court heard that the accused, who was married to the deceased’s father since the age of 16, had been living with the boy at their home in Guchutu Village. On the fateful day, around 10am, the accused sent the boy to fetch water from a nearby well. When he refused, an argument ensued, escalating into a physical altercation.
“The deceased refused and an altercation ensued between the two, which altercation degenerated into a fist fight,” stated Ms Angeline Munyeriwa, the State prosecutor.
During the fight, the accused overpowered the boy, leading her to strangle him until he became limp. Realising the boy was dead, she panicked and staged his suicide by tying his body to a small tree in the yard with a curtain.
“Upon realising that the deceased was dead, she panicked and staged the deceased’s suicide by tying the deceased to a nearby small tree in the yard with a curtain to make it look like he had hung himself,” Ms Munyeriwa said.
The accused then went to church, where she confessed the crime to a fellow church member, Angela Makusha. Together, they returned to the scene, where the boy’s father was informed and subsequently reported the matter to the police.
In mitigation, the accused’s lawyer, Mr Easu Mandipa, argued that his client was a child and a first offender who acted out of anger and remorse. “The accused is a minor who was in child marriage and acted through anger and that she is very remorseful for having committed the offence,” he said.
Justice Mutevedzi, in delivering the sentence, expressed concern over the prevalence of child marriage in Zimbabwe, stating that it often leads to tragedy. “Men should desist from marrying young girls as this posed great tragedy to many families and the society at large,” he said. “Now, go back to your mother immediately and be a very well behaved girl and go back to school,” he added, addressing the accused.
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