Online Reporter
A Bulawayo man aged 25 has been sentenced to 20 years behind bars for sexually abusing a five-year-old boy in Magwegwe West.
The perpetrator, whose identity is withheld to protect the minor, was convicted of aggravated indecent assault by Tredgold magistrate Sibonginkosi Mnkandla.
State prosecutor Tsungi Mutapi told the court that the offences occurred on several occasions between June and July this year.
The accused repeatedly abused the child and attempted to bribe him with money to ensure his silence.
Although the accused denied the allegations during trial — claiming he had neither given the child money nor abused him — the court found him guilty based on the State’s compelling evidence, emphasising that the young victim was legally incapable of consenting to sexual activity.
In passing sentence, magistrate Mnkandla handed down a 20-year prison sentence, suspending five years for five years on condition of good behaviour.
Consequently, the convict will serve an effective 15 years in prison.
The magistrate noted that the severity of the sentence reflects both the gravity of the crime and the extreme vulnerability of the young victim. — Bulawayo Bureau
