Zimbabwean Police have arrested a 24-year-old woman identified as Mary Rukobo, in Muzokomba, for killing her 2-month-old baby and her 2-year-old child in a critical condition.
Eyewitnesses told local news platforms that the older child misinterpreted Psalms 137 verse 9 after reading it in isolation instead of reading the entire chapter to get the correct context.
The scripture reads: “Happy is the one who seizes your infants and dashes them against the rocks.”
The woman grabbed her children by the legs and bashed their heads against rocks.
The two-month-old baby died on the spot while her sibling is battling for life in a hospital.
When interrogated, Mary claimed she heard a “divine voice” instructing her to carry out the act.
Confirming her arrest, the police said in a statement; “Police in Muzokomba have arrested Mary Rukobo (24) in connection with a case of murder which occurred on 19 January 2023 at Mashangana Village, Buhera.
“The suspect allegedly confessed to some villagers that she crashed the heads of her two kids against a rock several times during a prayer session after hearing a voice ordering her to kill them.
“One of the kids, Calvin Maputsa (2 months) sustained head injuries and died on the spot, while another kid (2) sustained a swollen head and was admitted at Murambinda Mission Hospital”