Elderly Woman Confesses To Eating Body Of Newly-Born Baby

February 13, 2003

AN elderly Nyanga woman was arrested last week for cannibalism. She confessed that she had eaten the body of a newly-born baby with her five colleagues.

Police in Nyanga had failed to locate the body of Ms Sekai Nyabadza’s baby.

Ms Nyabadza, who lives at Erin Forest Farm, experienced labour pains at around 2 am last Friday and requested the 60-year-old neighbour to accompany her to her sister's place.

But before they reached the place, the labour pains worsened and she was assisted by the neighbour to deliver a full-term baby at around 3 am.

It is alleged the neighbour told her that she had given birth to a still-born baby and offered to take the body for burial in the traditional manner with other elderly village women.

Police reports said that when Ms Nyabadza was asked if she was aware that her baby was still-born and had not noticed anything amiss, she said she was very weak and did not follow what was happening.

She could not remember if the baby had cried but only recalled the neighbour whispering that the baby was dead and that she should return home since it was taboo for her to see the burial.

Ms Nyabadza’s sister later on inquired about the pregnancy and subsequently the whereabouts of the body.

Ms Nyabadza, whom police said had been weak and still not mentally stable, told her sister that the body of the baby had been taken for a traditional burial by their neighbour.

Police in Nyanga said the sister confronted the neighbour who told her that she and other villagers had buried the baby.

The elderly woman allegedly said Ms Nyabadza had told her to bury the body quickly as she was traumatised by the incident.

The elderly woman, however, failed to locate the place where she had buried the body before the matter was reported to police.

Police spokesman Inspector Andrew Phiri yesterday said when the elderly woman, who is mentally stable, was arrested, she insisted that she had buried the body but had forgotten the place.

"On further interrogation, the woman disclosed that there was no grave since she and her five colleagues had eaten the body," Insp Phiri said.

Insp Phiri said they are currently considering charging the woman with the violation of a dead body.

"Investigations are still in progress since there are other five women involved in the matter."

http://www.herald.co.zw/index.php?id=18311&pubdate=2003-02-13