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In a shocking case, a 16-year-old girl has been arrested for the alleged ritual murder of a 5-year-old girl.
The girl, who can not be named as she is a minor, is alleged to have killed Faith Maganda on Wednesday. Both the alleged killer and the deceased are from Banket’s Kuwadzana township.
The teenager was set to appear in court on Friday. However, she could not make her initial court appearance after the prosecution challenged her age. The state claimed that she looks 18 while the girl insisted that she is 16.
The state then applied for an extension of detention from the Magistrate’s Court to allow officials at Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital to conduct an age estimation exercise. The application was granted.
Online publication New Zimbabwe reports that according to sources in the area, the suspect told Faith’s mother, Felistus Antonio, that her daughter had been kidnapped by some unknown people who were travelling in a minibus.
The suspect then accompanied Felistus to Banket Police Station where they filed a police report. The source told the publication,
“The two reported that unknown people moving in an unregistered silver mini-bus had abducted Faith along a road and sped off towards the Raffingora-Guruve road.
“The deceased minor’s mother who was crying uncontrollably was being helped to make the report by the suspect.”
The police officers then proceeded to the scene of the alleged crime with the 16-year-old girl and the deceased’s mother.
On their way, the police bumped into another minor, a 7-year-old boy who made some stunning claims.
The boy disputed that Faith had been kidnapped and insisted that she was in the swamps nearby. He narrated that earlier that day, the older girl had instructed him to stay behind while she went into the swamps with Faith.
The boy further alleged that the teenager had returned alone from the swamps and ordered him to accompany her back home.
“On arrival home, the suspect called Faith’s mother and told her she had witnessed her daughter being kidnapped by unknown men who were aboard a kombi. The suspect suspiciously urged the mother to accompany her to make a police report.
“A search at the swamp area led to the discovery of the deceased’s body which was in a muddy area with her body partially covered with grass.”
Upon the discovery of the body, the teenager was immediately arrested. Faith’s body was taken to Chinhoyi Provincial Hospital for post mortem.
Mashonaland West police spokesperson, Inspector Margaret Chitove confirmed the arrest but declined to comment further on the case.
