Chitungwiza Couple Lock Teen in Room for Three Years
A Chitungwiza couple has been sent to prison after it was discovered they had kept their teenage son locked up inside their house for three years, starving him to the point where he survived by eating anything he could find, including his own waste.
Chitungwiza Couple Lock Teen in Room for Three Years
Herbert Purumero (45) and his wife, Memory Kamuchato (40), were sentenced to 24 months behind bars after being found guilty of abusing 16-year-old Tinotenda Purumero. Four months of their sentence was suspended, meaning they will each serve an effective 20 months.
Tragically, Tinotenda was left so malnourished and bruised that authorities said his health had completely broken down. The boy was found locked inside a filthy room at their St Mary’s home in Chitungwiza.
The abuse left the teenager severely underweight and covered in injuries, suggesting he was not only neglected but also physically assaulted. He is currently recovering in a local hospital and will later be placed in a care home.
Step-Mother and Father Join Chitungwiza’s “Hall of Shame”
Herbert is Tinotenda’s biological father, while Memory is his stepmother. Prosecutors told the court that after Herbert separated from Tinotenda’s mother, who later remarried, the boy ended up trapped in a nightmare of starvation and mistreatment.
Neighbours were horrified to hear of yet another abuse case in Chitungwiza, drawing comparisons to the infamous 2022 case of Gogo Plaxedes Mashasha, who locked her son inside the ceiling of their home for 14 years.
Court proceedings revealed that the abuse began in May 2022. Prosecutor Shamiso Mwapangira said Tinotenda was locked in a dirty room, cut off from proper food, medical care, and the outside world. On many occasions, responsibility for the teenager was left to his 23-year-old sister, Paidamoyo, who is a slow learner.
The State said the teenager’s physical and mental health was badly damaged by the couple’s cruelty. Magistrate Dennis Mangosi convicted the pair of child neglect under the Children’s Act.
Also read: From The Ceiling To A Shrine, Grant Mashasha’s Abuse Continues
Neighbours Express Outrage
An H-Metro team visited the house after the court case but found it deserted. Tenants had gone to work and Tinotenda’s sister had been taken by relatives in Epworth. Some neighbours, who asked not to be named, shared their feelings about the tragedy.
One neighbour said Tinotenda had once been discharged from hospital but had to be taken back after no one was at home to care for him. They added that the boy is still waiting for placement at a care home.
“Tinotenda was once released from hospital after showing signs of recovering but, however, there was nobody at home resulting in them taking him back to the hospital where he is receiving care. We heard that they have not yet found a Children’s Care Home that is willing to take him,” said one of the neighbours.
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The post Chitungwiza Teen Survives on Waste After Parents Lock Him in Room for 3 Years appeared first on iHarare News.
