School guard (69) ‘sodomises’ pupil

Codelia Mondela, Court Reporter
A PUPIL from McKeurtan Primary School in Bulawayo was allegedly sodomised in the school’s toilet by a 69-year-old security guard.

Peter Shumba, who had been seated at the corner of the school with his friends, allegedly approached the seven-year-old boy last month when he was coming from school and grabbed him by the neck.

He took him back to the school and allegedly sodomised him in the boys’ toilet. Shumba pleaded not guilty to aggravated indecent assault before Bulawayo magistrate Mr Chrispen Mberewere. Magistrate Mberewere remanded him in custody to today for continuation of trial.

Shumba said there was no way he could have gained entrance to the school while grabbing the boy’s neck without anyone noticing him.

“On the day in question, I was at work where I am employed as a security guard. I think the boy was threatened since he had not been talking at first. I was informed by the police that he ended saying he was sodomised by a man who stands by the gate,” Shumba said.

Prosecuting, Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa asked the minor if it was the first time being sodomised and he said he had been abused before. “I was sodomised six times by a relative when I was doing ECD and when I was in grade one,” he said. Mr Manyiwa said Shumba sodomised the minor on November 29 around 1PM. He said the minor was on his way home from school and was approached by Shumba along Third Avenue.

“Shumba grabbed the juvenile by the neck and took him back to the boys’ school’s toilet where he sodomised him. The juvenile went home and kept the matter to himself,” Mr Manyiwa said. “He started experiencing pain after he had gone to the toilet and informed his grandmother. She checked him and noticed that his anus was more open than normal.”

The matter was reported at Bulawayo Central Police Station.—@MondelaC