Woman lets dogs feast on newborn baby to save marriage

A Gokwe woman let dogs feast on her newly born baby in a bid to save her marriage, after being impregnated by her husband's uncle, while the husband was working in South Africa.

Svodai Murwisi (30) of Maritini Village under Chief Nemangwe was this week sentenced to 245 hours of community service, failure of which she will serve seven months in prison.

Gokwe magistrate Christopher Maturure considered that Murwisi was a first offender who did not waste the court's time by immediately pleading guilty.

The agreed facts are that Murwisi gave birth to a baby while alone at home without the knowledge of her husband and decided to conceal the birth.

She placed the child under the cooking shed and proceeded to her bedroom hut to sleep, knowing there were dogs around.  Murwisi's neighbour, Sylvester Ziumbwa stumbled on a dog feasting on a baby skull the following morning outside her homestead.

Murwisi told the court that she wanted to conceal the birth from her husband.

"Your worship, I deeply regret my actions but the truth is I wanted to save my marriage since I had been impregnated by another man. I left the baby in the shed to die," said Murwisi.

Tineyi Tirigo prosecuted.