A couple from St Mary’s in Chitungwiza has been sentenced to 20 months in prison after it emerged they had locked up their 16-year-old son for three years, leading to severe malnutrition and abuse.
Herbert Purumero (45) and his wife Memory Kamuchato (40) reportedly kept Tinotenda Purumero confined in a filthy room at their house in St Mary’s since May 2022.
During that time, the teenager was denied food, healthcare, and even basic hygiene and he ended up eating whatever he could find, including his own waste.
The boy, who is now recovering in hospital, suffered visible bruises and extensive malnutrition. Authorities say the abuse was both physical and emotional, and has had a lasting impact on his mental and physical health.
Tinotenda is the son of Herbert and his ex-wife, who has since remarried. His stepmother, Memory, allegedly took part in the abuse.
Often, Tinotenda was left in the care of his 23-year-old sister Paidamoyo, who is described as a slow learner.
The couple pleaded guilty to charges of child neglect and ill-treatment under the Children’s Act. They were sentenced to 24 months behind bars, with four months suspended on condition of good behaviour.
Tinotenda is expected to be placed in a care home once he is discharged from hospital. His sister has since been taken in by relatives in Epworth.
This isn’t the first disturbing case to come out of Chitungwiza. Just a few years ago, the story of Gogo Plaxedes Mashasha shocked the nation after it was discovered she had kept her son Grant in the ceiling for 14 years.
Grant was rescued with overgrown nails, pale skin, and struggled to communicate. Authorities were only alerted after Gogo Mashasha was found living with her husband’s decomposing body.
Another case from Zengeza involved a young woman who was locked up for three years by her grandmother, who claimed a man in the neighbourhood wanted to abduct her for rejecting his love proposal.
More: H-Metro
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