Woman cuts niece's buttocks for laughing while she was indulging in sex

A HARARE woman Miriam Mungure, 35, of Westlea allegedly cut her niece's buttocks with a razor blade after suspecting she was peeping through her blankets and watching her engaging in sexual relations.

Mungure is also suspected to have been regularly assaulting the 8-year­-old girl with wires since 2010, a court heard.

She appeared before magistrate Batanai Madzingira charged with ill-treatment and neglect of a child.

Court heard that the girl had a habit of laughing in her sleep which offended the aunt who punished her for the practice over the past five years.

Mungure is denying the charges, arguing she only assaulted the child in a motherly manner.

She said the cuts which doctors found on the child were deep cicatrices that she applied on her as part of their tradition.

Mungure told court she took the girl into her custody when she was just three years old, adding she was sick which is why she carried out the traditional rituals on her.

The alleged abuse came to light after the girl was taken to a medical doctor for examination when the woman's brother reported that she was ill­-treating the kid.

Doctors realised that the child had severe scars and fresh razor blade cuts on her buttocks and hands. Upon interviewing her, the child said her aunt cut her because she laughed in her sleep.

However, Mungure said there was bad blood between her and the brother who reported the case to the police.