A 26-year-old man from Mutare will spend the next 20 months in jail following his conviction for having s.e.xual intercourse with a young person.
Allegations were that the man, who has not been named, appeared before a Mutare Magistrate on charges of having s.e.xual intercourse with a young person.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the State proved that the accused person started indulging in s.e.xual activities with the 14-year-old complainant in February 2024 at his homestead and thereafter had s.e.xual relations with the complainant on different occasions.
The matter came to light when the complainant suspected that she was pregnant and eloped to the accused person’s home.
The complainant’s mother reported the matter to the Police leading to the accused person’s arrest.
The man was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment of which 4 months was suspended. He will serve 20 months effectively.
Under Zimbabwe’s new Marriage Act, all marriages are entered into between men and women above 18 years of age. Facilitating marriage of children under 18 years is now considered a criminal offence.
The minimum age of marriage for both girls and boys is 18 years. It is a substantial crime to marry off a child, and anyone involved in such actions will be prosecuted.
