Life in prison for the father who slaughtered his own children

A former security guard, Jonas Penduvanhu Shinana who killed his two Okuryangava children by viciously cutting their throats before attempting suicide was sentenced to life imprisonment.

Shinana showed no emotion yesterday when he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the first time: the murder of six-year-old Matheus Shinana and the murder of three-year-old Emilia Shinana.

Nate Ndauendapo, High Court Judge, stated that violence against children and women had reached a crisis point and continued unabated despite the severe sentences.

"The dead were innocent and defenseless young children," he said before pronouncing his sentence.

The Shinana judgment is an indication that the courts are ready to effectively deal with those who commit crimes against children.

During the trial, the prosecutor told the court that the two unhappy children had their future cup in their innocence and childhood while one child suffered the horror of seeing another being killed and to have to face the test of knowing that she was next.

Shinana had bad feelings and expressed frustration over his children arguing that his conviction should not only be aimed at punishing him but sending a message that the courts will have no mercy for criminals of this nature.

Shinana first pleaded not guilty and invented a story that an intruder had strangled from behind, he slit the two children before leaving him lying unconscious.

His trial was to be based on circumstantial evidence since there was no witness to the crime. The court reached the final conclusion that he alone could have killed both children as his testimony was difficult to digest.

Mother of the killed children, Rosalia Antonius failed to understand how their life was over and demanded to know why Shinana had committed such a crime.