An 18-year-old boy was jailed for 20 years yesterday after he was found guilty of raping his employer’s 12-year-old niece.
The herd boy, who resides in Zizani area under the leadership of Chief Chithawodzi, is accused of committing the crime in January this year.
He pleaded not guilty to one count of rape, but the regional judge, Mr. Innocent Pipiora, convicted him on the strength of the State’s evidence.
The convict was left with an effective 15-year prison sentence when parole for five of the 20 years was suspended for five years.
During his trial, Mr. Wilbrot Mulia said that the convict worked as a herdsman for the complainant’s grandfather and they were neighbors in the village.
He said that on January 29 this year, at around five in the morning, the boy went to the girl’s house and found her alone in one of the rooms.
He then grabbed her, lifted her into another room and closed the door before raping her. The court heard that the matter came to light when the girl was coming from church with her mother and her friend.
Along the way, the two juveniles kept harvesting amarula fruits in the nearby bush.
While returning home, the two came across the convict boy and the girl started running away crying, followed by her friend.
They returned home while she was still crying, which prompted the girl’s mother to ask why she was crying. She said that she was afraid of the boy and then narrated her ordeal.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police, leading to the boy’s arrest. Announce
