Granny (60) to do community service over abortion

A 60-year-old granny from Tshabalala was lucky to escape jail after she was sentenced to perform 490 hours of community service for assisting a 16-year-old teenager to abort.

Agnes Muroyiwa was convicted on her plea of guilty to unlawful termination of pregnancy when she appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Learnmore Mapiye yesterday.

Muroyiwa was initially charged together with the juvenile, but the State withdrew charges against the teenager.

"Accused one is a juvenile offender.

"We want to proceed by way of divergence in relation to accused one (juvenile). May charges against her be withdrawn before plea?

"She is admitting to the charges," State counsel Tarisai Mutandi said in the application.

Muroyiwa was sentenced to 24 months in prison of which 10 months were conditionally suspended for five years.

The remainder were suspended on condition she completes 490 hours of community service.

Charges were that on November 22 at about 6pm the juvenile visited her friend in Bellevue and informed her that she wanted to terminate her four-month pregnancy.

The friend advised her that she had a grandmother in Tshabalala who could help her abort.

On November 24, Muroyiwa was approached by the juvenile and she inserted herbs into her womanhood.

When she arrived home the pregnancy had already terminated and he advised her mother about the issue.

She in turn took her to hospital, but she did not receive treatment.

However, the matter later got into the hands of the police, leading to her arrest. She implicated Muroyiwa.