A 24-year-old woman identified as Mary Rukobo has been arrested by the police in Muzokomba, Zimbabwe, for grabbing her children aged two months and two years respectively by the legs and bashing their heads against rocks.

Eyewitnesses told local news platforms that she 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 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”