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Police Arrest Woman for Abandoning Newborn Baby

by Simbarashe Sithole
14 May 2023 at 13:23hrs | Views
A 24-year-old woman was arrested on Tuesday after she allegedly abandoned her newborn baby in an abandoned homestead.


The woman, who has been identified as Regina Tembo, is accused of giving birth to a baby boy on April 19, 2023, and then dumping the baby in an abandoned homestead in Chinake Village, Chief Mukola Mudi.

According to the police report, Tembo was coming from Nyamayaruka Business to celebrate Independence Day when she arrived at Priscilla Chambatiras homestead seeking for help since she was complaining that her right leg was in pain.

Priscilla told Tembo she was not feeling well so she advised Tembo to wake up her grandmother. Tembo proceeded to her grandmother's homestead which is about 20 meters from Priscilla's homestead.

Tembo woke her grandmother and told her that her right leg was in pain. Her grandmother told Tembo that she was going to seek help and light to see how she can help her from her neighbors since she cannot see due to old age.

After about 40 meters, the grandmother heard a cry of a newborn baby from a place where she left Tembo but she did not manage to come back instead she continued with the journey of calling her Ema Fudza who is her young sister to help her to assist Tembo.

The two came back on a bid to assist Tembo but she was no longer there only seen was a pool of blood which shows that Tembo gave birth. Emma Fudza started following traces of blood drops for about 100 meter but she did not see Tembo not the baby. She then decided to come back and sleep.

On the same date around 0600hrs, Emma Fudza proceeded to Tembo's homestead to see if she arrived home safe with the baby but upon arrival she saw Tembo's mother Scrudzai Tembo who confirmed that Tembo was no home yet.

The two looked for Tembo and saw her at homestead but without the baby, Tembo was asked where she put the baby but she refused ever given birth to any baby.

Information reached police and they quickly reacted to the information. Constable Obvious Manhenda and Constable Charles Chare attended the scene. Upon interviewing Tembo she denied ever given birth to any baby.

Police officers continued interviewing Tembo who then agreed to the police that she gave birth to a baby boy and the baby cried showing that he was alive. Tembo went on to carry her baby for about 2 kilometers before she dumped the baby at an abandoned homestead and went away.

Tembo made indications leading the police where she dumped the baby. The baby was recovered and it was taken to Kotwa hospital where it was certified dead by Doctor before it was taken to Mortuary.

The postmortem report is in the docket and can be produced in court as exhibit.

Tembo was dragged to Mutoko Magistrate court on Friday where she appeared before Magistrate Elijah Sibanda facing charges of abandoning a child. 

She is scheduled to appear in court again on May 10, 2023.

Source - Byo24News