A 36-year-old bishop of the Zion Christian Church (ZCC) in Beitbridge, Zimbabwe, has been convicted for the fatal flogging of a congregant during a controversial “healing” session.
The bishop, identified as Crispen Gomori, was found guilty after a church ritual resulted in the death of a woman and left her husband critically injured.
The tragic incident occurred on March 6, 2023, when the couple visited the ZCC shrine in Beitbridge seeking spiritual healing. Instead, they were accused of mental illness and subjected to an extreme form of “treatment.”
Gomori reportedly ordered other congregants to tie them to a tree on the church premises before beginning the brutal session.
At 8 p.m., Gomori started flogging the couple with a leather whip in a ritual that lasted several hours. By 4 a.m., the woman had succumbed to her injuries. Upon realizing her death, Gomori fled the scene, leaving the woman’s husband in critical condition.
Authorities were alerted, and the police launched an investigation that led to Gomori’s arrest.
The male victim was rushed to Beitbridge District Hospital for medical care, while the woman’s body was taken for a post-mortem examination.
During the court proceedings, Beitbridge resident magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba presided over the case, while prosecutor Tawanda Chigavazira outlined the brutal nature of the assault.
Gomori defended himself, claiming the couple had consented to the flogging as part of their faith.
However, the court ruled that the severity of the beating far exceeded reasonable limits.
Gomori admitted to administering seven strokes to the male victim, insisting it was a spiritual healing practice.
Despite his defense, he was convicted of causing the woman’s death and seriously assaulting her husband. The court is expected to deliver his sentence in the c
oming days.