15-year-old convicted of rape

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu
A 15-YEAR-OLD teenager has been arrested for raping his nine-year-old cousin. The juvenile from Esibomvu area in Esigodini who cannot be named for ethical reasons was convicted on his own plea of guilty to rape by Gwanda regional magistrate, Mrs Sibonginkosi Mkandla.

Passing of his sentence was postponed for the next five years. Prosecuting, Mr Khumbulani Nyoni said the accused person raped the complainant on 11 March after she was left under his custody.

“On 11 March at around 7am the complainant was left under the custody of the accused person by her aunt who was going to South Africa. On the same day at night the accused person, the complainant and two other children aged eight and 10 years old went to sleep in the same bedroom which they shared.

“The accused person then noticed that the complainant was asleep and he sneaked into the blankets which she was sharing with the other two children. He went on to rape the complainant and warned her against reporting the matter.

“The matter came to light on 13 March when the complainant went to visit her grandmother and narrated what the accused person had done to her. The matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused person,” he said. —