News / National
Woman jailed for killing new born
06 Sep 2017 at 06:55hrs | Views
A 25-YEAR-OLD Bulilima woman has been jailed for two years for killing her new born baby after her boyfriend denied responsibility.
Sandisiwe Moyo of Nopemano area gave birth while she was alone at her home and strangled the baby.
She wrapped it in a plastic bag and dumped the body in a Blair toilet.
Moyo was convicted on her own plea of guilty to infanticide by Plumtree magistrate, Mr Taurai Manwere. The magistrate sentenced her to 24 months in jail.
Six months of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition that she does not within that period commit a similar offence.
In passing the sentence, Mr Manwere said Moyo had committed a serious offence which deserved a custodial sentence.
Moyo, a mother of one, told the court that she killed her new born baby after the father denied responsibility.
"The man who impregnated me denied responsibility hence I decided to kill the baby.
The man stays in South Africa and I tried on several occasions to engage him over the matter but he refused to entertain me.
"When I gave birth I was under a lot of pressure because I didn't know how I would fend for the child and that's why I killed and dumped the body. I already have another child and I'm struggling to fend for him because I'm not working," she said.
Moyo pleaded with the court to be lenient with her saying circumstances had forced her to commit the offence.
Prosecuting, Mr Zorodzai Pengapenga said Moyo committed the offence on April 2 at around 4PM this year.
Sandisiwe Moyo of Nopemano area gave birth while she was alone at her home and strangled the baby.
She wrapped it in a plastic bag and dumped the body in a Blair toilet.
Moyo was convicted on her own plea of guilty to infanticide by Plumtree magistrate, Mr Taurai Manwere. The magistrate sentenced her to 24 months in jail.
Six months of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition that she does not within that period commit a similar offence.
In passing the sentence, Mr Manwere said Moyo had committed a serious offence which deserved a custodial sentence.
"The man who impregnated me denied responsibility hence I decided to kill the baby.
The man stays in South Africa and I tried on several occasions to engage him over the matter but he refused to entertain me.
"When I gave birth I was under a lot of pressure because I didn't know how I would fend for the child and that's why I killed and dumped the body. I already have another child and I'm struggling to fend for him because I'm not working," she said.
Moyo pleaded with the court to be lenient with her saying circumstances had forced her to commit the offence.
Prosecuting, Mr Zorodzai Pengapenga said Moyo committed the offence on April 2 at around 4PM this year.
Source - chronicle
