Girl (4) beaten to death for failing to close goat pen

A plumtree girl, 4, was flogged to death by her father as punishment for failing to close a goat pen at their homestead.

According to the Chronicle, Ngoni Tshuma (25) of Dombodema area assaulted the child, Simosenkosi, with a Jatropha switch and a piece of wire and she died a few hours later from injuries sustained in the brutal assault.

Prosecuting, Mr Trust Muduma said on September 26 last year at around 5PM, Tshuma arrived at his home and he was advised by his relatives that his daughter was disobedient. The girl was not home at the time Tshuma arrived.

The court heard that soon after she had returned, Tshuma ordered her to go and fetch water and the goats.

Simosenkosi took longer than anticipated and Tshuma decided to follow her. The girl later arrived home in the company of Zodwa Moyo.

Tshuma rounded up the goats and penned them before he returned home where he confronted his daughter. He reprimanded her for disobedience and failing to do chores and penning goats.

He took the girl to his bedroom where he assaulted her using a jatropha switch. The girl proceeded to bed after the assault and Tshuma discovered that his daughter had died the following morning.

According to post mortem results, the cause of death was due to traumatic shock, multiple injuries and subarachnoid haemorrhage.

Bulawayo High Court judge Justice Francis Bere convicted Tshuma of a lesser charge of culpable homicide.

Tshuma will serve an effective five years in prison after Justice Bere suspended three years for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar crime.