More information has surfaced regarding the premature birth of a baby, sold for US$180, after the midwife involved appeared in court yesterday.
H Metro has it that Betty Patricia Sena, a midwife affiliated with Sally Mugabe Hospital, stood before Harare magistrate Marewanazvo Gofa facing charges of human tr@fficking.
She was remanded in custody until next Tuesday.
The court was informed that between February and March, Sena conspired with accomplices Evelyn Zisengwe, Dion Tore, and the teenage mother to traffic the now nine-month-old infant.
Sena is @ccused of inducing labor in the teenage mother, who was seven months pregnant at the time, to facilitate the early delivery of her child.
After the birth, Sena transferred the baby girl to Tore.
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On February 25 of this year, at Sally Mugabe Hospital, documentation was falsified to make it appear that Tore had given birth to the child.
The prosecution alleges that Sena misused her position to facilitate the improper discharge of the premature infant from the hospital.
For her involvement, Sena reportedly received US$20 and produced a fraudulent d3ath record to falsely claim that the newborn had d!ed.
Sena’s actions came to light through testimonies from Tore and the teenage mother. Both Tore and Zisengwe also appeared in court, where they sought bail.
Zisengwe requested the magistrate’s consideration for her release due to a brain condition that causes her to frequently collapse.
She denied the allegations, explaining that she had encouraged her daughter not to terminate the pregnancy but rather to give the baby to someone struggling to conceive.
“I deny the allegations because I had no intention to sell the child. I advised my daughter to keep the baby instead of terminating her pregnancy. Previously, she @borted another pregnancy before the arr3st,” Zisengwe stated.
The court will issue a bail ruling today, while the teenage mother has been placed in the custody of Social Welfare Services.
