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Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
TWO women have been each been sentenced to 12 months imprisonment after they burnt a two year old child with meat as punishment for crying for the relish while it was being cooked.
The two extracted a piece from a boiling pot, put it in the child’s hand and forced her to hold it until she suffered a permanent disability.
Shylet Sibanda (28) and Christine Huruna (54) of Bells Farm in Umguza appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Ms Tancy Dube charged with ill-treatment or neglect of a child.
Huruna is the tot’s aunt while Sibanda is her mother.
Passing sentence, Ms Dube said: “Such reckless ill-treatment of children will not be tolerated. A child has been scarred for life. You are therefore sentenced to an effective 12 months in prison.”
The State, led by Ms Margaret Takawira said on July 24 this year at around 4PM, Sibanda was cooking when the child threw a tantrum and cried for meat.
“Sibanda took a spoon and gave it to the Huruna who took a piece of meat from the pot and handed it to the baby. The mother of the child pressed the hot piece of meat on the child’s hands until she sustained blisters in her palms,” said the prosecutor.
The court heard that Sibanda later took the child to Khami Clinic after realising that the child’s condition was deteriorating and the burns were becoming septic.
She was later referred to Mpilo Central hospital. A medical report was exhibited in court as evidence.
The child suffered serious burns and was left with deep scars that have caused partial deformity on her palms as she can no longer stretch her fingers.
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