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Andile Tshuma, Court Reporter
A 17-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo boy who was arraigned for having a sexual relationship with a 15-year-old girl has been spared jail after a magistrate gave him a 10 month suspended sentence.
The accused person, whose name has been withheld for ethical reasons but is from Pelandaba suburb appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Ms Nyaradzo Ringisai charged with having sexual intercourse with a minor.
He pleaded guilty.
Passing the sentence, Ms Ringisai said: “You should be focusing on your books and not having sex. You are sentenced to 10 months in prison. Four months is suspended on condition that you do not commit a similar offence for the next three years. The rest of your sentence will be suspended on condition that you perform 210 hours of community service here at Western Commonage courts.”
Prosecuting, Mr Tony Kamudyariwa said the juvenile had a sexual relationship with a 15 year-old-girl whose name has also been withheld for ethical reasons.
The court heard that the accused person is the complainant’s boyfriend.
“On December 3 this year at around 6PM, the complainant visited the accused person at his place,” said the prosecutor.
“Upon arrival, the complainant went to the accused person’s bedroom where they agreed to have sexual intercourse without protection. The complainant later returned home.”
The matter came to light when the complainant was confronted by her boyfriend’s mother over why she had been at her house, in her son’s room at night. She was forced to disclose that she had been having sex with her boyfriend. She was referred for medical examination. The medical report was produced in court as evidence.
— @andile_tshuma
Online Reporter