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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
A 27-YEAR-OLD man from Lupane has been jailed for 16 years for raping a 12-year-old girl.
Misheck Mpofu, who is a herdsman in Mncwazi Village in Kezi area, raped the juvenile also from the same village while she was on her way from school.
Mpofu pleaded not guilty to rape when he appeared before Gwanda regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira, but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
He was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment and four years were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.
Prosecuting, Mr Mncedisi Dube said Mpofu raped the complainant, who is a Grade Six pupil, on September 21 at around 4PM.
‘’The juvenile left school where she had been attending a sport event. She met Mpofu who was also coming from the same event. Mpofu was cycling and he offered the juvenile a ride to her home.
‘’Along the way Mpofu diverted from the route and went into the bushes. He dragged the juvenile into a bushy area where he raped her once,’’ he said.
Mr Dube said Mpofu offered the juvenile a 10 cent coin to stop her from reporting the matter but she refused to accept it. He said Mpofu left the juvenile in the bush and she went home where she narrated what had happened to her mother.
The matter was reported to the police resulting in Mpofu’s arrest.
In his defence, Mpofu denied offering the juvenile a ride on his bicycle saying she was the one who asked.
“At first I refused but a woman who was passing by persuaded me to give the juvenile a ride on my bicycle. I dropped her off at a bus stop near her home and I headed my way. The police came to my house on the following day but I was out. When I heard that they were looking for me upon my return I went to the police station and I was shocked to learn that I had raped the juvenile as I had not,’’ he said.
@DubeMatutu
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