Woman hammers stepson on knees

A 30-year-old woman appeared in court last week on allegations of assaulting her five-year-old stepson with a hammer on his knees, accusing him of gossiping with his sister.

Loice Maga of Kuwadzana Extension, Harare, was not asked to plead to the charges when she appeared before magistrate Tafadza Miti, who remanded her to January 12, 2022.

Circumstances leading to her arrest are that on December 13, she was sitting with her stepson when his sister arrived home.

It is said that the five-year-old then started chatting with his sister, who asked him whether Maga had assaulted him during her absence.

The boy told his sister that Maga had not assaulted him. The two's conversation did not go down well with Maga, who called her stepson and asked him about what they were discussing.

He then told her that his sister was enquiring on whether she had assaulted him in her absence. Maga appeared as if she was not satisfied with the boy's answer and started assaulting him.

The attack came to light after the boy's headmaster realised that he boy was having difficulties in walking.

The headmaster quizzed the boy who then revealed that Maga had assaulted her with a hammer on his knees.