A 30-year-old woman from the Chief Zimunya area of Mutare appeared before the Mutare Magistrates’ Court, facing charges under the Children’s Protection and Adoption Act.
The court heard that on October 11, 2024, the accused was at her employer’s homestead with her 11-month-old baby.
She allegedly laid the child on the floor face down and assaulted her with a stick multiple times, instructing her to crawl.
The woman recorded the assault and sent the video to the child’s father. The incident came to light when the video went viral on social media, prompting police intervention.
The accused pleaded guilty and, during mitigation, claimed to suffer from an undisclosed mental disorder.
She was remanded in custody until October 30, 2024, pending examinations by two doctors in accordance with the Mental Health Act.
Meanwhile, former Chivi South MP Killer Zivhu (ZANU PF) suggested that the woman’s actions may have been driven by poverty and frustration.
In a post on X, he stated that she “needs counselling, not prison,” and pledged to provide her with US$2,500 to help kickstart an income-generating project.
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