…wife wants protection order from ‘abusive’ husband
Thabiso Nxumalo
MASVINGO– A Mushagashe 43 year-old man, Adam Mushipe recently went on a frenzy and brutally assaulted his five year-old daughter for losing two cigarettes that he had sent her to buy at a shebeen.
Lucia Mushipe mother to the child said she left the young girl with her husband on September 27, 2021, while she ran some errands.
The father then sent the girl to buy cigarettes for him at a shebeen but she delayed to return prompting him to follow her.
Lucia alleges that he followed and intercepted her along the way and noticed that she had lost the cigarettes.
Adam then started flogging her all over the body using a stick leaving visible marks all on her back and stomach.
Efforts by Lucia to get help from the police have hit the brick wall as law enforcement agents continue to refer her from one office to the other.
“I went to report the case at Masvingo rural police station where I was asked to go and get a medical report. I was told that there was no doctor to assist me. I then asked police to open the case but was referred to different offices and I ended up leaving,” said Lucia.
Lucia also tried to get a medical report at Masvingo Provincial Hospital but failed since doctors were said to be out of office.
The wife at some point in time dragged her husband to court that granted an order to get maintenance from Adam but did not receive anything.
“I once sought for a restraining order against my husband but he does not stop abusing me and my kids. I applied for maintenance and he is supposed to be paying me ZW$3 500 for the two kids every month but he has not paid even a single cent,” added Lucia.
The man is said to be very abusive, beats up his wife, and even disowns the two children he sired.
“I am looking for help, I have reported him a number of times but nothing has changed. He physically and emotionally abuses me and the kids telling them that he is not their father. I am ready to go for DNA to prove the paternity,” alleged Lucia.
When contacted for comment, Adam confirmed to have beaten the child saying she had stolen his US$1 and accused his wife of misrepresenting facts.
“I just beat her up for stealing money and it was not something out of the ordinary. It was just punishment that any other child gets for misbehaving.
“The mother is fabricating the story against me and misrepresenting facts because of a little misunderstanding that we had,” said Adam.
