Online Reporter
Lovemore Kadzura
Weekender Reporter
A RUSAPE woman who took her friend’s four-year-old child from her home in the mother’s absence and without her knowledge has been jailed for four years on kidnapping charges.
Mary Mhondiwa (31), who is of no fixed abode, appeared before Rusape provincial magistrate, Mr Tendai Mahwe, charged with kidnapping as defined in Section 93(1) (11) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23], which makes it an offence to unlawfully detain or keep a person.
Mhondiwa, who was not legally represented during the hearing, pleaded not guilty to the offence.
She said the victim’s mother had given her permission to take the child to a house to collect a debt.
The child’s mother said Mhondiwa, who once cohabited with her brother, came to her house in the afternoon. She gave her water to bathe and clothes to wear as she was not looking well.
She later gave Mhondiwa a wrapper to sleep under a tree shade while she was inside the house cooking.
While outside, Mhondiwa lured the child, who was playing, to accompany her, promising to buy snacks, give her money and let her watch cartoons. The girl’s mother had to send missing-person messages in several WhatsApp groups, which led to the child’s location.
Mr Mahwe convicted Mhondiwa guilty, and sentenced her to five years in jail, suspending one year for five years on condition that she does not commit a similar offence.
She will serve an effective four years.
Prosecutor, Mrs Faith Mutukwa said while Mhondiwa was moving around with the child, the child began crying, and Mhondiwa instructed her to tell people that she was her mother.
She said this act deprived the child’s mother, the lawful custodian, of control over the child.
“The accused person is a female adult of no fixed abode and is unemployed. The accused person and the child are not related, but the accused person is a friend of the complainant’s mother. The child is an Early Childhood Development learner at a local pre-school. On May 19, at around 3.30pm, the accused person was at the complainant’s house in the NE Section of Vengere, and asked the child to accompany her to collect her cellphone at the next location.
“While on their way, the child started crying, but the accused person persisted with her journey, instructing the child to tell people that she, Mhondiwa, was her mother if asked. Upon reaching another house which the child could not recognise, she saw Tawana, who then took her home. The accused person ran away, but was arrested by the police. The accused acted unlawfully,” said Mrs Mutukwa.
