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Thandanani Ndlovu,

Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
A SUSPECTED lesbian maid from Filabusi who inserted her fingers into a Grade One pupil’s privates was yesterday slapped with an 18-year jail term.

The girl developed sores and a greenish discharge began oozing out of her privates, resulting in her failing to walk properly, following the repeated abuse.

Thandanani Ndlovu, 19, had pleaded not guilty to aggravated indecent assault before regional magistrate Abednico Ndebele.

She maintained throughout the trial that the six-year-old complainant made up the sexual abuse story to fix her.

Ndlovu was employed by the girl’s mother in Pumula South surbub in Bulawayo.

Ndebele bemoaned the increase in cases of maids abusing both boys and girls left under their custody.

“In coming up with your sentence, the court considered that you’re a female first offender which is mitigatory. However, you have been convicted of a very serious crime. Women can’t hide behind skirts to evade lengthy sentences,” said Ndebele.

“You committed the offence over a long period on someone who trusted you. The fact that at one point you wiped her privates with tissue paper means there is likelihood you exposed the little girl to sexually transmitted infections.”

Ndebele said Ndlovu’s actions would discourage parents from engaging domestic workers to take care of their children.

“I was going to give you 20 years but I will treat you like a lady. You are therefore sentenced to 18 years imprisonment of which five years are suspended for five years. In the period you’re not to commit any crime of a sexual nature,” he said.

Giving evidence in camera, the girl told magistrate Ndebele that Ndlovu inserted her fingers into her privates on at least 10 different occasions.

“I know the accused as my aunt who lives with us. One day before I went to school, she undressed me, laid me on the bed and got on top of me.

“She had long nails and she used them to hurt me as she put her fingers in my private parts. Afterwards she wiped me using tissue paper and got me ready for school,” said the girl.

The court heard that Ndlovu fingered the girl five times on the first incident.

“She inserted her fingers in my private parts on 10 consecutive days and I didn\t tell anyone. I told my mother one day when she was dressing me.”

The State led by Concilia Ncube tendered the medical report which showed that the girl had bruises on her privates.

According to the medical document, the girl was discharging a greenish fluid.