Man sentenced to 2 years for underage relationship
CHIPINGE – A 26-year-old man from Jecheni Village, Chipinge, has been sentenced to two years in prison for having sexual intercourse with a 13-year-old girl, a school dropout who went missing in August this year.
The accused whose identity was withheld to safeguard the minor’s privacy appeared before Chipinge Magistrates’ Court on charges of having sexual intercourse with a minor.
The accused person pleaded guilty to the charge.
The court heard that in July 2024, the complainant’s mother left for Rupungwana for part-time work, leaving her children in the custody of her husband.
The minor went missing in August and her father initially believed she was at church but upon inquiry, he discovered she was actually living with the accused.
It is alleged that the complainant’s mother returned on September 8, 2024 and informed about her daughter’s whereabouts.
The mother reported the matter to the police and they accompanied her to the location where they found the accused with her daughter.
The mother subsequently took her daughter home and the police arrested the accused.
