Crispen Gomori, 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 violent act also left the victim’s husband severely injured.
The incident occurred on March 6, 2023, when the married couple sought spiritual healing at the ZCC shrine. Gomori accused them of mental illness and subjected them to a harsh form of “treatment,” ordering them to be chained to a tree on church grounds.
At 8 p.m., Gomori began the so-called healing ritual, whipping the couple repeatedly with a leather whip for several hours. The woman succumbed to her injuries around 4 a.m.
After realizing the woman had died, Gomori fled, leaving her husband critically injured. Police were alerted, and the male victim was taken to Beitbridge District Hospital for treatment. The woman’s body was also transported for a post-mortem examination.
During the trial, prosecutor Tawanda Chigavazira presented evidence of the brutal assault, overseen by Beitbridge resident magistrate Takudzwa Gwazemba. Gomori claimed the couple had consented to the flogging as part of their religious beliefs, but the court ruled the severity of the beating exceeded any acceptable limit.
Gomori admitted to administering seven strokes to the husband, insisting it was part of spiritual healing. However, the court found him guilty of the woman’s death and the assault on her husband.
