News / Local
Maid gives birth, bury foetus under a tree, sent to rehabilitation
13 Apr 2014 at 19:31hrs | Views
A 15-year- old housemaid from Bulawayo's Gwabalanda suburb allegedly gave birth, tied the foetus in a plastic bag before burying it under a guava tree within the yard, a Bulawayo magistrate heard on Tuesday.
The girl who resides in Lobengula pleaded guilty to a charge of concealment of birth before magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo at the Western Commonage court. Moyo ordered the girl to be placed at Luveve Training School for Girls for rehabilitation.
It was the state's case that on March 4 2014, the young girl gave birth at around 1pm, tied the foetus in a plastic bag and buried it under a guava tree at a house in Gwabalanda. The woman who stayed with her became suspicious when she saw her blouse wet on the breasts.
On questioning, the maid admitted she had given birth and buried the foetus within the yard.
On March 16 2014 a report was received at Luveve Police Station and the officers attended the scene and exhumed the foetus.
A post mortem examination carried out at the United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) concluded the cause of death was uncertain due to decomposition.
The girl was taken into Luveve Training School for Girls institution on Wednesday for rehabilitation and counselling.
Asked why she committed the crime, the girl told the court she did not want her employer to know she was pregnant.
"I was working as a domestic worker and I had not told my employers that I was pregnant. I did not want them to know that I was pregnant," she said.
"I am sorry, I did not know that I was committing an offence. May I be sentenced to do community service?" She pleaded with the magistrate.
The girl who resides in Lobengula pleaded guilty to a charge of concealment of birth before magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo at the Western Commonage court. Moyo ordered the girl to be placed at Luveve Training School for Girls for rehabilitation.
It was the state's case that on March 4 2014, the young girl gave birth at around 1pm, tied the foetus in a plastic bag and buried it under a guava tree at a house in Gwabalanda. The woman who stayed with her became suspicious when she saw her blouse wet on the breasts.
On questioning, the maid admitted she had given birth and buried the foetus within the yard.
On March 16 2014 a report was received at Luveve Police Station and the officers attended the scene and exhumed the foetus.
A post mortem examination carried out at the United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH) concluded the cause of death was uncertain due to decomposition.
The girl was taken into Luveve Training School for Girls institution on Wednesday for rehabilitation and counselling.
Asked why she committed the crime, the girl told the court she did not want her employer to know she was pregnant.
"I was working as a domestic worker and I had not told my employers that I was pregnant. I did not want them to know that I was pregnant," she said.
"I am sorry, I did not know that I was committing an offence. May I be sentenced to do community service?" She pleaded with the magistrate.
Source - Zim Mail
