Evelyn Zisengwe, a 47-year-old woman from Murehwa, and her 16-year-old daughter are facing human trafficking charges after allegedly attempting to sell the teenager’s newborn for $180. They appeared in court alongside 34-year-old Dion Tore, all charged under the Trafficking in Persons Act.
According to reports, the teenager has been placed in the custody of the Social Welfare department, while Zisengwe and Tore are scheduled to finalize their bail application this Thursday.
The court heard that the trio conspired to facilitate an unlawful adoption of the child. Zisengwe and her daughter allegedly planned to sell the baby to Tore, who had previously experienced multiple miscarriages.
In January, Zisengwe and Tore connected on the messaging platform Sora ne Miti, where they exchanged contact information. Zisengwe informed Tore about her daughter’s pregnancy and suggested that the teenager intended to have an abortion. Instead, Tore expressed interest in adopting the child.
On February 22, Tore met with the teenager in Harare, where they arranged for a medical scan that revealed the pregnancy was nearly eight months along. Later that day, they went to Harare Hospital, where Tore reportedly collaborated with an unidentified nurse to induce the teenager’s labor prematurely.
The teenager gave birth on February 25, and on March 5, she allegedly handed over the newborn to Tore at Harare Hospital. To conceal the transaction, Tore is accused of creating a fraudulent death record for the baby.
Zisengwe is alleged to have received $180 from Tore via Ecocash. The baby is now nine months old. The group was apprehended following a tip-off to police in Murehwa.
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