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Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
A 14-year-old girl from Lutumba area in Beitbridge broke into tears last week and begged a local magistrate not to jail her 20-year-old boyfriend.

The boyfriend had been dragged to court charged with having sexual intercourse with a minor.

He is accused of staying with her at his uncle’s homestead for four days until the police took her away.

He was convicted on his own plea of guilty when he appeared before Beitbridge resident magistrate, Mr Toindepi Zhou who sentenced him to 12 months imprisonment.

He was left with eight months to serve when the magistrate conditionally suspended four months for five years.

According to court sources, the girl burst into tears on Friday after learning that her boyfriend had been convicted of the offence.

Prosecutor, Mr Tariro Makaya told the court that the man proposed love to the teenager in December last year.

He said on 29 March this year, the girl visited the 20 year old at his uncle’s homestead, where they had sexual intercourse once.

The court further heard that the two stayed together for four days and during that period they were having sexual intercourse once daily.

The State said the girl was taken away from the accused by the police on the fourth day after her mother had reported the case.