Tinaye Agere
Online Reporter
A 42-YEAR-OLD woman from Maramba village in Chingwizi, Mwenezi, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Mwenezi Magistrates’ Court after being found guilty of abusing an orphaned boy under her care.
The court heard that Mateure Manyengedze subjected the eight-year-old to horrifying punishment after he accidentally defecated on his blankets while asleep.
Enraged, 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.
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.
During the trial, the court learned that Manyengedze and the boy had been living together since the death of his mother.
On October 22, 2024, the boy accidentally soiled his bedding, prompting the woman’s cruel actions.
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.
Online Reporter