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Leonard Ncube, Victoria Falls Reporter
A HWANGE woman who caressed the private parts of a five-year-old girl at a house where she was employed as a maid has been ordered to perform 325 hours of community service.

Petronella Mathabisa (20) of 1416 DRC, Empumalanga in Hwange was arrested recently after the toddler told her parents about being abused by the maid.
Mathabisa was charged with indecent assault when she appeared before Hwange magistrate in-charge Mrs Rose Dube. The woman pleaded not guilty and later changed her plea to guilty after the girl, her mother and another witness had testified.

The magistrate sent her to do community service at the Hwange magistrates’ courts.

Prosecuting, Ms Loveness Maseko said Mathabisa was employed as the girl’s minder between June and August this year.

“Between June 16 and August 21 this year, the accused would invite the little girl to her bedroom and ask her to join her on the bed. While in the bedroom, Mathabisa would order the complainant to undress before forcing her to mount her,” said the prosecutor.

Lying on her back, Mathabisa would then rub and caress the girl’s private parts using her fingers.

“Initially the complainant would refuse and Mathabisa would threaten to beat her up. This happened several times without the knowledge of the girl’s parents,” the court was told.

The matter came to light when Mathabisa resigned from her job due to ill health in August and the girl told her mother that she was happy when she engaged another maid last month.

Her mother who cannot be named, quizzed her daughter and she opened up about the abuse. — @ncubeleon