Woman up for savage assault on 10-year-old

Tanaka Mrewa, Court Reporter
A WOMAN from Bulawayo’s Entumbane suburb allegedly stoned her neighbour’s 10-year-old daughter, slammed her against a wall and punched her for making her son cry while they were playing.

The girl bled internally and doctors said she could develop a chronic headache.

Gracious Machingura (32) yesterday pleaded not guilty to a charge of assault.

Western Commonage Magistrate Mr Abednico Ndebele remanded Machingura out of custody on free bail to August 5.

Machingura asked for deferment of trial, saying she did not understand a medical report that was presented as evidence in court.

Prosecuting, Mrs Charity Nyathi said: “Machingura hit her neighbour’s daughter with a stone, assaulted her with fists on the head and hit her against a wall.

“Complainant accidentally bumped into accused’s son while they were playing and they fell. Medical report attained proved that complainant sustained severe injuries. There was internal bleeding that can cause constant headaches,” said Mrs Nyathi.

Machingura told the court that she did not assault her neighbour’s daughter.

“Your Worship I never laid a hand on that child. My neighbour’s daughter tripped my son with her foot causing him to fall. My son cried then I drew closer but she fled. As she was running she fell and hit against a durawall. That’s how she sustained those injuries,” said Machingura.

“We haven’t been living peacefully with my neighbours. I suspect they told their children to beat my child. This feud has been existent since five years ago. I divorced with my husband because of them.”

Machingura said her neighbours used to shout from their house that her husband should beat her and leave her.

“They were jealous of my marriage. They caused my husband to beat me until he left. They said I was not worthy to be a civil servant’s wife because I was unemployed. Now I live alone because of them,” she said.