Woman up for infanticide

A 25-year Harare woman has been hauled before the courts on charges of infanticide after allegedly causing the death of her baby intentionally.

Perpetual Zinatsa who lives in Warren Park is facing infanticide charges after contravening section 48 (1) (a) of the Criminal Law and Codification (and Reform) Act.

It is the state's case that on the 1st of March 2014 at around 1300 hours, Perpetual who was six months pregnant started feeling some labour pains.

It is alleged that she knelt down on the floor and pushed out the child and it landed on the floor but she did not call out for help.

When a fellow tenant went to Perpetual's room, the accused told her that she had a stillborn baby and asked her for advice.

However the fellow tenant advised her to go to the clinic.

Perpetual then went to the clinic, leaving the foetus in her room and was advised at the clinic to carry the baby to the police and notify them of the death.

The accused packed the baby in a travelling bag and went to the police to file a report.

She was then escorted to the clinic by the police and the foetus was weighed at 2950 grammes

The trial was postponed to 8 April 2014.