A 22-year-old woman has been arrested after she was found carrying a bucket containing the body of a newly born baby boy in Mt Hampden.
In a post on the ZRP Twitter page, Police said the suspect, Marvellous Mashanda, has been charged with infanticide. Reads the post:
Police in Harare have arrested, Marvellous Mashanda (22) in connection with a case of infanticide which occurred at a certain house along Old Mazowe Road, Mt Hampden on 17/05/23. The suspect was found carrying a bucket with the body of a newly born baby boy.
Infanticide is the act of intentionally causing the death of an infant, typically within the first year of life and some of the reasons for infanticide in Zimbabwe include poverty and mental illness.
There have been reports of young women who kill their newly-born infants because they cannot afford to take care of them.
In some cases, where a mother is suffering from postpartum depression or other mental health issues, she may feel overwhelmed and unable to care for her child resulting in infanticide.
Postpartum depression is a mood disorder that can affect women after childbirth, and it can cause a range of symptoms, including feelings of sadness, anxiety, and exhaustion.
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