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Courtney Matende, Midlands Reporter

A 17-YEAR-old boy who is in Form Three at a Gweru school has been sentenced to four years in jail for raping a two-year-old toddler.

The boy, a repeat offender will, however, serve a total of seven years after Gweru Regional magistrate, Mrs Phathekile Msipa, added three more years which were suspended in 2015 when he was convicted of a similar charge of rape.

In passing sentence, Mrs Msipa said as a repeat offender, the teenage boy deserved a custodial sentence which would act as a deterrent to would be offenders.

“This is not your first time appearing before the court facing a similar charge. In 2015 you committed a similar offence and you were sentenced to a three year suspended sentence on condition you do not commit a similar offence within five years. That time frame hasn’t lapsed and you have committed another similar offence,” she said.

“There is a difference in age of 15 years between you and the complainant and you were supposed to protect the complainant, therefore a custodial sentence will serve justice to this case.” 

It was the State case that on April 21 at around 3PM, the complainant was playing with the accused’s siblings at their house. 

The accused called the complainant into his room and raped her.

The matter came to light when the complainant indicated to her mother that she was feeling pain on her private parts as she was being bathed.

The court heard that the mother examined her and noticed some bruises on her private parts. The matter was reported to the police leading to the arrest of the accused.

Mr Talent Tadenyika appeared for the State.