Apostolic sect leader Ishmael Chokurongerwa, commonly known as Madzibaba Ishmael, was on Tuesday, 22 December 2025, sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a 15-year-old congregant, reported The Herald.
Presiding magistrate Estere Chivasa condemned his actions, describing them as heinous and a flagrant abuse of religious authority.
The leader of the Johane Masowe eChishanu Gorejena Penyeranyika Apostolic Sect was convicted on Thursday, 5 December, for engaging in a sexual act with a female congregant who was 14 years old at the time.
DNA tests conducted by the National University of Science and Technology (NUST) confirmed that he is the biological father of the victim’s child.
Despite this evidence, he continues to assert his innocence, claiming that the DNA results were tainted and therefore inadmissible.
The prosecution argued that Madzibaba Ishamael abused his position as a trusted religious leader to exploit and rape vulnerable young congregants under the guise of religious authority.
He was initially charged with three counts of rape but was convicted on one count, as the court determined that the other two alleged victims were adults who could consent.
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