A 31-year-old man from Filabusi has been sentenced to an effective 15 and a half years in prison by the Gwanda Regional Court for rape and assault.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), The conviction follows an incident on November 25, 2024, in which the accused approached a 12-year-old girl who was walking to school with her siblings.
โOn the 25th of November, 2024, in Filabusi the accused approached a 12-year-old girl while she was on her way to school with her siblings. He asked for directions, then forcibly took her to a nearby bush, removed her clothes, and had unprotected sexual intercourse with her without her consent,โ NPAZ said in a statement.
Following the assault, the accused struck the victim on the back of her head with an unknown object three times, causing deep cuts and rendering her unconscious.
The girl regained consciousness several hours later and was discovered by a passerby, who noticed her injuries and took her home. Her family was informed, and the matter was promptly reported to the police. The victim was subsequently taken to a local hospital for a medical examination.
