A 72-year-old man from Makoni District in Manicaland Province has been convicted and fined for indecently assaulting his 11-year-old neighbour.
Richard Madanhi, of Gandanzara Village, pleaded not guilty to indecent assault under Section 67(1)(a)(i) of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act [Chapter 9:23]. He was accused of fondling the breast of the Grade Six pupil.
Rusape provincial magistrate Tendai Mahwe found Madanhi guilty after hearing what he called overwhelming evidence. He sentenced the pensioner to a US$150 fine or 30 days in prison.
An additional three-month jail term was wholly suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence.
Prosecutor Faith Mutukwa told the court the victim, a Grade Six learner, was targeted by the elderly man in what she described as a gross breach of trust.
“The complainant, an 11-year-old Grade Six learner at a local primary school, was walking home at around 5 pm on February 13, 2026, when the accused, who was driving his cattle, stepped aside to let her pass, and remarked that she had grown well,” said Mutukwa.
“As she tried to move past, the accused approached her and fondled her right breast. She screamed, and he released her.
“The complainant ran home and told her grandmother what had happened, before filing a report at ZRP Rusape Rural, which led to the accused’s arrest.”
More: Manica Post
Pindula WhatsApp Channel
Facebook Page
Leave a Reply