Gweru man strangles one-year-old stepdaughter to death

A man from Gweru has been arrested after he allegedly strangled his one-year-old step-daughter after the baby’s mother had gone to a borehole.

Midlands police provincial spokesperson Inspector Emmanuel Mahoko confirmed the tragedy.

“Police in Gweru have arrested a 47-year-old man for allegedly murdering his 1-year-old stepdaughter. The incident occurred on 29 September 2023 at around 0900 hours in Mkoba Gweru,” he said.

“Circumstances are that the man, Itai Ticharwa (47) of Mkoba 4 Gweru was left in the custody of the now deceased baby as his wife went to a nearby borehole to fetch some water,” he said.

Mahoko said upon return Ticharwa’s wife found him holding the baby before instructing her to breastfeed the baby.

“As soon as she held the baby Ticharwa’s wife realised that the baby was groaning in pain and she screamed shouting that her baby had been strangled thereby alerting the neighbours and some police officers passing by. Ticharwa was subsequently arrested and detained whilst the body of the deceased was taken to Gweru Provincial Hospital mortuary to await post-mortem. Investigations are currently ongoing,” he said.