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Thandeka Moyo, Court Reporter
A 15-YEAR-OLD boy from Insuza stunned a court in Bulawayo when he claimed a five-year-old toddler seduced him into raping her.
The boy, who cannot be named because he is a minor, however, pleaded guilty to raping the tot.
Regional magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze convicted him of rape.
“The court finds you guilty as charged and you’re sentenced to receive three strokes with a rattan cane administered by a prison officer,” said magistrate Msipa-Marondedze.
In mitigation, the boy said: “I didn’t intend to rape her. She’s my neighbour. She approached me and asked me if we could indulge in sex. I erred and may the court be lenient with me”.
Prosecuting, Paida Zengeni said on January 17 at around 1PM, the girl went to sleep with her mother in the bedroom.
“When the girl saw that her mother was fast asleep, she sneaked out of the room and went to play outside the homestead. While outside, she saw the boy walking towards a bushy area and followed him,” said Zengeni.
“The boy asked the girl if they could have intercourse and the girl refused. The boy went on to lift the complainant up and laid her on the ground facing upwards.”
Zengeni said the boy raped the girl once and dressed himself before helping the girl to dress up.
“The girl’s mother woke up only to see that her daughter was not in the bedroom and went outside hoping to see her nearby. She finally saw the boy coming from the bush with her daughter. When they got home, she asked the girl what they were doing in the bush and she revealed that the boy had raped her once,” she said.
A police report was made leading to the boy’s arrest and the girl was taken to hospital for medical attention.
derick.khumalo