News / Local
College student fined for abortion
25 Jan 2016 at 05:52hrs | Views
A student at a Bulawayo college was arrested for terminating her pregnancy after her friend spilled the beans following a misunderstanding.
Rumbidzai Phiri, 18, of North End committed the crime while she was on industrial attachment at a Bulawayo lodge on December 15 last year.
An unidentified United Bulawayo Hospitals nurse who assisted her to terminate the pregnancy is on the run.
Phiri told her friend Melissa Kazai via WhatsApp that she had terminated her pregnancy and when they had an argument, Kazai spilled the beans. This led to Phiri's arrest and the nurse who assisted her to terminate the pregnancy immediately disappeared.
Phiri, whose college was not named, was convicted on her own plea by Tinashe Tashaya.
She was fined $80 or 40 days in jail.
In passing the sentence, Tashaya said although Phiri committed a serious crime, she was a youthful offender who deserved a second chance to reform.
"You're a first youthful offender and as such you deserve a second chance. A sentence of imprisonment will not reform the offender. I also took into account that imprisonment will disrupt your studies," said Tashaya.
Prosecuting, Nkathazo Dlodlo said on December 15 last year, Phiri went to UBH in the company of her boyfriend Onias Mutengwa after having connived to terminate her pregnancy with the assistance of a nurse who is now on the run.
The court heard that when they got to UBH, Phiri and Mutengwa engaged the unidentified nurse to administer an abortion pill. "After the pill was administered to Phiri, she went home where she started bleeding and she confided in her friend, Melissa Kazai through a WhatsApp message," said Dlodlo.
The matter came to light when Phiri had an argument with Kazai who is also her neighbour.
Kazai, out of anger, informed Phiri's mother about the abortion and on being quizzed Phiri admitted to terminating her pregnancy. A report was made to the police and Phiri was arrested.
In mitigation, Phiri said she committed the crime because she didn't have the means to take care of her baby since she is still a student.
Rumbidzai Phiri, 18, of North End committed the crime while she was on industrial attachment at a Bulawayo lodge on December 15 last year.
An unidentified United Bulawayo Hospitals nurse who assisted her to terminate the pregnancy is on the run.
Phiri told her friend Melissa Kazai via WhatsApp that she had terminated her pregnancy and when they had an argument, Kazai spilled the beans. This led to Phiri's arrest and the nurse who assisted her to terminate the pregnancy immediately disappeared.
Phiri, whose college was not named, was convicted on her own plea by Tinashe Tashaya.
She was fined $80 or 40 days in jail.
In passing the sentence, Tashaya said although Phiri committed a serious crime, she was a youthful offender who deserved a second chance to reform.
"You're a first youthful offender and as such you deserve a second chance. A sentence of imprisonment will not reform the offender. I also took into account that imprisonment will disrupt your studies," said Tashaya.
Prosecuting, Nkathazo Dlodlo said on December 15 last year, Phiri went to UBH in the company of her boyfriend Onias Mutengwa after having connived to terminate her pregnancy with the assistance of a nurse who is now on the run.
The court heard that when they got to UBH, Phiri and Mutengwa engaged the unidentified nurse to administer an abortion pill. "After the pill was administered to Phiri, she went home where she started bleeding and she confided in her friend, Melissa Kazai through a WhatsApp message," said Dlodlo.
The matter came to light when Phiri had an argument with Kazai who is also her neighbour.
Kazai, out of anger, informed Phiri's mother about the abortion and on being quizzed Phiri admitted to terminating her pregnancy. A report was made to the police and Phiri was arrested.
In mitigation, Phiri said she committed the crime because she didn't have the means to take care of her baby since she is still a student.
Source - chronicle
