A SIX-YEAR-OLD girl is battling for her life at Mutare
Provincial Hospital after her grandmother scorched her private parts and most
of her lower body with hot roasted roundnuts as punishment. The 70-year-old
granny, Julia Chishawaire of Mafararikwa Village under Chief Marange, was
allegedly punishing the infant for being intimate with her five minor cousins.
Chishawaire did not show remorse over what she had done
when she was arraigned before the courts on Wednesday, stating that the minor
deserved it since she had to be disciplined for her wayward behaviour. She said
what she did was not an act of cruelty, but that was how mischievous children
were disciplined long back.
She appeared before senior Mutare magistrate Mr Innocent
Bepura and pleaded guilty to the charges of physical abuse as outlined in
Section 3 (1) (a) of the Domestic Violence Act, Chapter 5:16. She was remanded
out of custody to December 21 since the State is awaiting a medical record as
the infant is admitted at Mutare Provincial Hospital. Prosecuting, Mr Fletcher
Karombe said on December 9, Chishawaire accused the complainant of being intimate
with her cousins.
“The accused decided to punish the infant using traditional
methods, thereby pouring hot roasted roundnuts into her dress through the
shoulders. When the infant fell down, Chishawaire dragged her by the feet and
poured the remaining roundnuts between her legs,” said Mr Karombe. Asked on why
she acted in the evil manner that she did, she responded: “It has been long
since she started playing such dirty games with her cousins. I stay with seven
grandchildren, all of whom are below 10 years of age. Since last year, this
particular grandchild has been offering herself to her five cousins each time I
leave them alone at home and indulging in the (dirty) games.
“I do not want her to be a sex worker when she grows up,
that is the reason why I opted to use the traditional way to discipline her.
That is what our parents used to do to us when we played such dirty games. I
took hot roundnuts and put them in her dress so that she knows how painful it
is to be sexually active at such a tender age,” said the old woman.
She claimed that she did not know that her actions were
unlawful, but admitted that she was aware that her actions would cause bodily
harm to the child. Manica Post
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