By Chantelle Muzanenhamo
Shilyrand Charigwati, a 30-year-old nurse from Hemel Hempstead, UK has been sentenced to life imprisonment with a minimum term of 16 years for the murder of her two-year-old daughter, Roselyn.
Charigwati was convicted at Luton Crown Court after a trial revealed that she suffocated her daughter with a plastic bag in April 2024.
According to reports, while Charigwati admitted to manslaughter, she denied the murder charges, claiming mental health issues and asserting she had no memory of the incident
Presiding judge Mrs. Justice Heather Williams condemned the act as a shocking abuse of trust, highlighting the vulnerability of the young victim.
The court heard that Charigwati’s separation from Roselyn’s father and subsequent loss of custody in late 2023 significantly contributed to the tragedy. Prosecutors maintained that despite her struggles with depression, Charigwati’s rational judgment remained intact at the time of the killing.
During sentencing, Roselyn’s father, Washington, delivered an emotional victim impact statement, describing his daughter as his little best friend and the joy of his life. He remembered her as “joyful, funny, playful, beautiful, and so full of love.
Charigwati, who emigrated from Zimbabwe to the UK in 2010, exhibited signs of significant stress following her family breakdown.
However, the court ultimately concluded that she acted with clear intent to kill her daughter, resulting in the life sentence.