Woman kidnaps sister's baby 'to save marriage'

A 19-YEAR-OLD woman from Masvingo allegedly kidnapped her sister's two months old baby under the guise of taking her to the hospital for immunisation.

Masvingo police spokesperson Inspector Peter Zhanero confirmed the incident that happened last week and said the suspect was arrested on Wednesday.

She is due to appear in court soon to face a charge of kidnapping.

He said on the day in question,Gladys Machaure who is a sister to Ms Theresa Machaure, the mother of the kidnapped child, approached the latter.

Insp Zhanero said Gladys, who had lied to her husband that she was pregnant, phoned her sister telling her that she had given birth but the child was ill and admitted at the hospital.

"Gladys, who was staying in Harare with her husband, told Ms Theresa that she was coming to Masvingo. She said she wanted to come and leave her clothes at Ms Theresa's house so that she could go back to look after her ill child," he said.

Gladys came to Masvingo where she looked for her sister's house but went to a friend's lodgings.

On the following day she went to Ms Theresa's lodgings where upon arrival, she asked  to leave her clothes purporting to be going back to Harare to attend to her "non existent" child.

After leaving her clothes, she would often visit Ms Theresa's house when she would be away. She would sometimes spend the whole day playing with Ms Theresa's two month old baby.

On 8 November at around 9am, Gladys went to Ms Theresa's lodgings where she found the maid, Ms Grace Mudzutu, who was left in charge of the baby.

Gladys lied to Ms Mudzutu that she had been sent by Ms Theresa to take the child to the clinic for immunisation. Gladys was given the child but never came back.

Insp Zhanero said Gladys took the baby to Mberengwa, her husband's rural home intending to show her in-laws.

The husband, who had believed that Gladys had actually given birth, had agreed with her to visit his parents so that they could show them their "new gift".

When her husband saw the child, he was happy but taken aback by the sex of the baby.

"Gladys had initially told the husband that she had given birth to a baby boy and yet the baby that she had brought was a girl. This could have incensed the husband who reported the matter to Mberengwa Police who later contacted police in Masvingo leading to the woman's arrest.

"The missing baby was found and she is in a stable condition," said Insp Zhanero.

When she was quizzed, she revealed the truth that the child belonged to her sister and she had never conceived. She said she lied to the husband and went on to kidnap the child to save her marriage.