Chronicle Editor
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
A 16-YEAR-OLD Form Four pupil at Colleen Bawn High School who recently appeared in court for sodomising six children after watching a pornographic movie has been sentenced to stay at a reformatory home for sodomising an 11-year-old boy.
The teenager who cannot be named for ethical reasons pleaded not guilty to a charge of aggravated indecent assault when he appeared before Gwanda regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
The magistrate said he should stay at Percy Ibbotson Remand Home and Hostel in Bulawayo, a penal institution to which especially young or first offenders are committed for training and reformation, for a year.
Prosecuting, Mr Pernson Chekeya said the teenager sodomised the boy who is a Grade Four pupil on October 15 last year after he met him while on his way to school.
“On 15 October the complainant was on his way to Jahunda Primary School when his met the teenager who asked him to accompany him to Manzamnyama Stream. The juvenile agreed and along the way the teenager pushed the boy to ground and he fell down.
“The teenager removed the boy’s shorts and closed his mouth with his hand and sodomised him. He then threatened to kill or assault the boy if he revealed what had happened to anyone before fleeing the scene,” he said.
Mr Chekeya said the boy refused to go to school the following day and told his mother about the abuse. The matter was reported to the police resulting in the teenager’s arrest.
In his defence the teenager who was represented by Mr Given Sibanda of Legal Aid Directorate denied the charges.
He said the boy’s family had fabricated the allegations following a misunderstanding with his family.
Mr Sibanda said his client never met the boy on the day in question.
“My client never attended school on the day in question as he didn’t have transport money and he remained at home with his father and sister. He woke up at around 9AM and went to visit his cousin and returned home at around 12 noon and spent the rest of the day with his sister at home. He never met the complainant as alleged,” he said.
“My client’s father and the complainant’s mother were once involved in a love relationship which didn’t end well. There has been bad blood between the families ever since. The complainant’s mother has been demanding money from my client’s father from the 14th of October but he refused to give her. I pray that the court finds my client not guilty and may he be acquitted of all charges levelled against him.”
The teenager was last year sentenced to receive four strokes for sodomising six minors who are aged between five and seven years old on separate occasions in the month of July.
The juvenile who spoke in camera in the company of his father said he sodomised the minors who are his neighbours after watching a pornographic movie.
He said he bought a disc from vendors thinking that it contained wrestling matches but when he played the disc it had pornography. He said he watched it and saw the act of sodomy and decided to imitate it.
– @DubeMatutu
derick.khumalo