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Masvingo Correspondent
A female clerk at a local school here has appeared in court for allegedly forcing her niece, who is in Grade 2, to put her hands on a hot stove as punishment for stealing chocolate.

The woman, who is employed at Dikwindi Primary School, last week pleaded guilty when she appeared before Masvingo provincial magistrate Mr Langton Ndokera facing physical abuse or contravening the Child Protection Act.

She was remanded out of custody on free bail for sentencing sometime next week.

Allegations against her are that on July 30 she was at her house in Chesvingo suburb with the complainant and she left a chocolate bar on a table in one of the rooms and went out.

The girl allegedly took the chocolate bar and ate it.

On her return, the woman discovered that the chocolate bar was missing and started shouting at the complainant and assaulting her all over the body with an electric cable.

She then turned on an electric stove and ordered the girl to put her hands on the hot stove, resulting in her sustaining severe burns on both hands.

She was arrested after an alert neighbour, who heard the girl screaming, tipped off the police.

A medical report detailing the extent of the girl’s injuries was produced in court as an exhibit.

Mr Fidelis Nyamukondiwa represented the State.