Child's injuries expose hidden abuse

A nine-year-old girl from Mutare has been rescued from a harrowing cycle of abuse after enduring years of torture at the hands of her stepmother, who allegedly burnt her palms with hot melted plastic and beat her with electrical cables.

The stepmother, Precious Mudzinganyama (29), has since been convicted of ill-treatment or neglect of children and young persons under Section 7(1) of the Children's Act (Chapter 5:06) by Mutare provincial magistrate Ms Anniah Ndiraya. Mr Thurstone Mubvumbi prosecuted.

According to the State, the abuse took place on September 27, when Mudzinganyama attacked the child after she fought with her six-year-old stepbrother. The court heard that she burnt the girl's palms with hot, melting plastic, then whipped her multiple times on the back, legs, and arms with electrical cables.

The following day, the girl went to school with severe injuries. Staff at Mutare Adventist Primary School (MAPS) noticed her condition and reported the matter to the police, triggering investigations that exposed a long history of concealed abuse.

At the time, the girl had been living with her father and stepmother since 2022, following her parents' divorce. Her mother has since relocated to South Africa, while her father allegedly coerced custody of the child.

During trial, Mudzinganyama's husband - the victim's father - defended his wife, claiming his daughter "burnt herself while trying to destroy plastics from stolen chips." However, evidence presented by the prosecution and testimonies from the victim and her teachers contradicted this account.

The child told investigators that her stepmother ordered her to remain silent after the assault and to lie to her father about the cause of her injuries. When blisters formed overnight, Mudzinganyama allegedly burst them with a needle and applied methylated spirit instead of seeking medical help.

"The following day, she pricked my blisters with a needle and poured spirit on my hands. It was painful, but she told me to be quiet," the girl said.

Her ordeal only came to light when school staff at the dining hall saw her hands and urged her to tell the headmistress, Mrs Joice Tapfumanei, who then filed a police report.

Investigations later revealed multiple scars across the girl's body, including marks believed to have been caused by nails.

The child's aunt, Ms Lancy Nyagutu, who now has custody, said her niece's body bears deep scars from repeated beatings. "She was bleeding from wounds caused by nails. Her father ignored it and said she was just being stubborn. She was never taken to the hospital," Nyagutu said.

The Department of Social Welfare intervened and placed the girl under Simukai Child Protection Services before transferring custody to her aunt at the child's own request.

Authorities said the father initially refused to name any relatives to take care of the girl, but the victim personally directed social workers to her aunt's workplace.

"I have now taken full custody of her and transferred her to another school," Nyagutu confirmed.

Mudzinganyama was remanded in custody pending sentencing, expected to be handed down soon.

The case has reignited public outrage over rising child abuse cases in Zimbabwe and calls for stronger child protection measures and stricter punishment for offenders.