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Brenda Zinyuke, Court Reporter

A 23-YEAR-OLD man from Inyathi has been sentenced to an effective eight years in prison for sodomising two juvenile brothers.

The man, whose name has been withheld to protect the identity of the minors, was employed as a domestic worker at the juveniles’ home.

He allegedly sodomised the two aged seven and 10 years on three different occasions. 

He pleaded not guilty to three counts of aggravated indecent assault charges when he appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate, Mr Joseph Mabeza.

However, the magistrate convicted and sentenced him to 10 years in prison. Two years were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

Prosecuting, Ms Caroline Matanga said sometime in January this year, the accused person met the 10-year-old juvenile looking for his uncle’s donkey at Mbanjeni grazing land.

“The accused person then approached the minor and forced him to remove his trousers and underwear. He also forced the juvenile to bend down on his knees and had unprotected anal sexual intercourse with him without his consent.

“He then told the minor to put on his clothes and not tell anyone about the anal sexual intercourse threatening to assault him if he did,” Ms Matanga said.

The prosecutor said during the same month, the accused person was herding cattle with his victim’s seven-year-old brother.

While playing with the boy, Ms Matanga said, the man then forced the minor to remove his clothes and bend down on his knees. She said he forcibly had anal sexual intercourse with the boy and threatened to assault him if he told anyone about the sexual encounter.

The court heard that the boy went home and told his uncle about his ordeal.

Ms Matanga said the boy’s brother then also told the uncle that he had also been sexually abused by the man in the same manner.

The uncle reported the matter to the police leading to the accused person’s arrest.