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A 32-YEAR-OLD woman who repeatedly had sex with multiple men in her home while her 12-year-old daughter watched has been fined US$300 and ordered to perform 210 hours of community service.
The accused woman of Shangani Mine in Fort Rixon was convicted on her own guilty plea to charges of public indecency by Bulawayo magistrate Mr Maxwell Ncube.
She was fined US$300 (or the ZIG equivalent) to the clerk of courts, failing which she will serve five months in prison. The accused was also directed to perform community service at Shangani Police Station.
In passing sentence, Mr Ncube noted that her conduct was deplorable, as she engaged in sexual acts in the presence of a minor, an experience that is deeply traumatic for a child of her age.
In her victim impact statement, the 12-year-old victim expressed how her mother’s actions had profoundly disturbed her. She said the events continue to haunt her.
“May the court consider that my mother is the one who pays my school fees. She should have an opportunity to work,” the statement read.
The victim further revealed that she wished to be placed in the custody of her grandmother. She also recounted how her mother would shout obscenities at her and physically abuse her with a sjambok whenever she failed to complete her chores. The child is staying with her maternal grandmother in Matobo.
In mitigation, the accused said she is a mother of three and the sole breadwinner for her family, surviving on menial part-time jobs.
The prosecutor, Ms Mufaro Ndirayire, told the court that last year, she had invited several men to her home at Shangani Mine.
“The accused invited multiple male partners and engaged in sexual intercourse with them in full view of the complainant,” said Ms Ndirayire.
In aggravation, Ms Ndirayire emphasised the seriousness of the offence, saying, “The perpetrator was in a position of trust as the victim’s mother. She exposed acts of indecency to a minor who is only 12 years old.
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