A 31-year-old woman from Dema in Seke Rural allegedly murdered her 3-year-old son at a local Apostolic sect shrine in the dead of the night on Monday this week.
Police said the suspect, Linnet Takawira, was found sitting in an ash pit stark naked with ashes smeared all over her body. ZRP posted on Twitter:
Police in Mash East Province have arrested a mental patient, Linnet Takawira (31) in connection with the callous killing of her son, Tanatswa Mutasa Dzinamarira (3).
The suspect sneaked out of the house with the child whilst her husband was asleep and went to an apostolic church shrine on 13/02/23 at Dhizha Village, Chirasavana, Dema.
The victim was found dead the next morning at the shrine with wet ashes stuffed in the mouth, ears, nose and eyes, whilst the suspect was sitting in an ash pit, naked, with ashes all over the body.
In January this year, a 24-year-old woman from Buhera, Manicaland Province, was arrested for murder after she crushed her two-month-old baby’s head against a rock and killed him during a prayer session.
The woman, Mary Rukobo, from Mashangana Village in the Muzokomba area in Buhera said she heard a voice instructing her to kill her two children, including the now-deceased, while she was engaged in prayer.
Police said the matter came to light after Rukobo confessed to the murder to some villagers.