Man Jailed Five Years For "Marrying" A 16-Year-Old Girl
The Mutare Magistrates’ Court recently convicted and sentenced to four years in prison a 35-year-old man from Penhalonga for engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), in December 2023, the accused person initiated a romantic relationship with the complainant, a 16-year-old.
The complainant accepted the accused’s love proposal, and as a gesture of their relationship, the accused gifted the young person a cellphone on February 1, 2024, facilitating communication between them.
The accused and the complainant arranged to meet in the privacy of the complainant’s bedroom. There, they engaged in unprotected sexual activity. A few days later, they had a second sexual encounter. However, their actions did not go unnoticed.
When the complainant’s mother noticed that the accused was having sexual relations with her daughter, she reported the matter to the Police.
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On March 9, 2024, the complainant eloped to the accused person’s residence, where they began living together as if married.
The Mutare Magistrates’ Court found the accused guilty of violating the law by having sexual relations with a minor.
As a consequence, he received a four-year prison sentence. However, one year of the sentence was suspended for five years, subject to good behaviour.
The NPA emphasized that it is a criminal offence to engage in sexual relations with a young person under the age of eighteen, regardless of their gender.
Under Zimbabwe’s new Marriage Act, all marriages are entered into between men and women above 18 years of age. Facilitating marriage of children under 18 years is now considered a criminal offence.
The minimum age of marriage for both girls and boys is 18 years. It is a substantial crime to marry off a child, and anyone involved in such actions will be prosecuted.
More: Pindula News
