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Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent 

A 14-YEAR-OLD boy who is a Grade Seven pupil at a school in Filabusi has been committed to Percy Ibbotson Rehabilitation Centre for raping his 13-year-old school mate on two occasions.

The teenager, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, was convicted on his own plea of guilty to rape by Gwanda regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira.

In passing sentence, Mr Dzira reprimanded the schoolboy for engaging in criminal activities at such a tender age.

“You are still young and should be focusing on your school work and not sexually abusing females. If you develop this horrible behaviour when you are this young, what evil would you have done by the time you are a grown man?” he asked.

Prosecuting, Mr Blessing Gundani said the boy raped a 13-year-old girl who was a Grade Seven pupil on two separate occasions in September last year.

“On 12 September 2018 at around 5PM, the complainant was walking alone on her way from school when she came across the accused who was seated by the roadside. Upon seeing the complainant the accused started accusing her of spreading rumours about him,” he said.

“He then ordered the complainant to accompany him to a nearby bush and threatened to assault her if she didn’t comply. Along the way the accused ordered the complainant to lie on the ground and he raped her and warned her against reporting the matter.”

Mr Gundani said the following day, the complainant was on her way from school when she met the accused person in a bushy area near a river. He said the accused person started following her and accused her of spreading rumours about him but she ignored him. 

Mr Gundani said the accused person then plucked a tree branch and threatened to assault her if she did not have sexual intercourse with him. 

“The accused person then raped the complainant and warned her against reporting the matter. On the following day the complainant started feeling pains in her private parts and revealed the matter to her grandmother. The complainant was taken to a nearby clinic for examination. The matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused person,” he said.

—@DubeMatutu