Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo-Court Correspondent
A Damasko Zion Christian Church bishop has been jailed for 10 years after the Bulawayo High Court convicted him of culpable homicide following the death of a female congregant after a prolonged assault during a purported exorcism ritual.
Justice Ngoni Nduna convicted Chrispen Gomore of culpable homicide after acquitting him of murder, ruling that the State had failed to prove beyond reasonable doubt that he intended to kill the deceased.
Passing sentence, Justice Nduna condemned the abuse of religious authority, saying violence committed under the guise of spiritual discipline had no place in society.
“The assault perpetrated upon the deceased persisted intermittently from morning until late at night, notwithstanding her screams and the pleas made by her husband. Your conduct displayed a gross disregard for human life and dignity.
“This court cannot ignore the increasing prevalence of violence perpetrated under the guise of spiritual discipline or religious authority. Human life is sacred and enjoys constitutional protection.”
He said the courts were duty-bound to protect vulnerable persons and to send a strong message that religious standing or spiritual authority could never serve as a shield for criminal conduct.
“The degree of negligence exhibited in this matter borders on recklessness of the highest order. A non-custodial sentence would trivialise the gravity of the offence, undermine public confidence in the administration of justice and fail to adequately reflect society’s denunciation of the conduct in question.”
Justice Nduna said that although Gomore was the breadwinner for a large family, only a custodial sentence was appropriate.
He was sentenced to 10 years in prison.
The court heard that on March 6, 2023, the deceased and her husband, Fortunate Mukwayi, travelled to the church shrine seeking prayers.
Following a disagreement with another pastor, the couple was accused of being mentally disturbed. They were shackled with chains, tied to a tree and left restrained overnight.
The following morning, they were taken to the Limpopo River for baptism and what church members described as an exorcism ritual.
After returning to the shrine, Gomore entered a room carrying a leather whip and repeatedly assaulted the couple from around 9am until late at night.
Mukwayi testified that the bishop indiscriminately whipped both of them all over their bodies while ignoring their cries for mercy.
He told the court that he repeatedly tried to shield his wife and pleaded with Gomore to stop the assault, but the beatings continued until both victims lost consciousness.
The couple’s daughter, Samantha, witnessed part of the assault and also testified during the trial.
Police arrived at the shrine the following day and found the woman dead.
A post-mortem established that she died from encephalic contusion (localised injury to the brain tissue), cranial trauma and injuries sustained during the assault.
In his judgment, Justice Nduna noted that while eyewitnesses only described the use of a leather whip, the post-mortem revealed blunt-force head injuries, creating uncertainty about how the fatal cranial injuries had been inflicted.
However, the judge ruled that the prolonged assault constituted gross negligence, making Gomore criminally liable for the woman’s death.
