Patrick Chitumba [email protected]
A 38-year-old Gweru woman has been sentenced to 315 hours of community service after scalding a one-year-old child with hot cooking oil and burning her back with a log in a revenge attack against the toddler’s mother.
Netsai Chitambira, of 1728 Jairos Jiri, Riverside, Gweru, appeared before Gweru magistrate Ms Deon Chiroyi facing a charge of causing harm to a minor.
Chitambira pleaded guilty and was sentenced to perform 315 hours of community service at the Gweru Military Museum.
Prosecutor Ms Christine Chidembo told the court that Chitambira and the child’s family were neighbours and that the accused held a grudge against the toddler’s mother.
The court heard that on 2 May, at around 4pm, Chitambira was cooking outside her house while the child and other children were playing near the fireplace.
She allegedly threw hot cooking oil at the toddler, scalding her leg.
Two days later, Chitambira allegedly used a burning log to burn the child’s back.
The child’s mother later noticed the injuries and reported the matter to the police, leading to Chitambira’s arrest.
