A 15-year-old boy yesterday pleaded guilty to rap_ing his one-year-old sister, who had been left in his custody.
The teenager, whose name has been withheld, appeared at the Harare Regional Court.
Harare magistrate Gloria Takundwa slapped him with a wholly suspended sentence, on condition he doesn’t commit a similar offence, in the next five years. The court heard that the juvenile is the stepbrother to the one-year-old.
They stay at the same house in Nyabira, with the baby’s mother.
It was proved that on September 20, last year, at around 2pm, the baby’s mother went to work at the farm.
She left the baby in the custody of her brother.
When she returned, she discovered that the juvenile had gone to his bedroom with the baby.
She went to the bedroom and, as she was outside, she heard the baby crying.
When she peeped through the window, she saw the boy raping the baby.
The mother rushed into the bedroom and removed her from his lap.
She informed her husband, the boy’s father, of what had happened and they filed a report at Nyabira Police Station.
The child was taken to hospital where she was medically examined and treated.
The boy was asked by the court about what transpired on the day and he confirmed the facts on the charge sheet and outline.
Cecilia Mashingaidze appeared for the State.
— HMetro
