A 29-year-old Gokwe woman has appeared in court charged with physically abusing her stepson (9) after burning him with hot cooking oil for allegedly stealing maize.
According to the police, the accused person, Progress Mushonga from Murairwa Village under Chief Chireya, also denied the juvenile access to medical treatment fearing her transgressions would come to light.
Mushonga accused her step-son of stealing maize cobs which he exchanged with a concentrated juice called Jolly Jus.
Midlands Provincial police spokesperson Emmanuel Mahoko who spoke to the media confirmed “investigating a physical abuse case where a 9-year-old male juvenile was burnt with boiling cooking oil after being accused of stealing maize by his stepmother.”
“It is alleged the complainant admitted to the accusations and stated that he had exchanged the maize grain for jolly juice and apologized. This did not go down well with the suspect who hurled insults at the juvenile,” Mahoko said.
He added Mushonga boiled cooking oil in a pot before dipping the juvenile’s fingers.
The police said the issue came to light after an anonymous tip-off resulting in the police raiding Mushonga’s homestead.
