Vusumuzi Dube
Moreblessing Ncube
A 16-YEAR-OLD boy from Insuza appeared in court after he allegedly sodomised his four-year-old neighbour.
The accused cannot be named to protect the identity of the complainant.
He pleaded guilty to aggravated indecent assault when he appeared before Bulawayo Magistrate Taurai Manwere and was remanded out of custody until today.
Prosecutor Nomthandazo Mafu told the court that on 10 November 2025, around 8 AM, the accused visited the complainant’s home and asked for his company to Village 6, St Elizabeth Gardens.
The complainant’s grandmother gave permission, but on their way back, the accused took the victim boy into a bush area.
There, he forced the boy to lower his pair of trousers and had anal sex with him without consent.
After the act, the accused ordered the complainant not to tell anyone. The lawyer representing the accused explained that he is a juvenile living with his mother, having never met his father.
He has grown up without a male figure and lacks male supervision. The offender feels very remorseful and chose not to drag the case out, showing respect for the court.
The lawyer argued that the court should consider his age and give him a chance at rehabilitation.
He is a student, and institutionalising him would disrupt his education. His appearance in court showed that he understands the dangers of crime.
Mafu told the court that the victim is only four years old and the accused took advantage of the trust placed in him by the boy’s grandmother.
She allowed him to play with the child, but instead, he turned into a predator.
The child was traumatised by the incident, and the state believes the accused must face serious consequences.
derick.khumalo
Mathew Masinge