Man (26) Jailed For Having Sexual Intercourse With A Form 1 Pupil
A 26-year-old man from Mutare will spend the next 20 months in jail following his conviction for having sexual intercourse with a young person.
In terms of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform Act) Act [Chapter 9:23], a “Young person” means a boy or girl under the age of eighteen years.
Allegations were that the man, who has not been named, appeared before a Mutare Magistrate on charges of having sexual intercourse with a young person.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the State proved that the accused person started indulging in sexual activities with the 14-year-old complainant in February 2024 at his homestead and thereafter had sexual relations with the complainant on different occasions.
The matter came to light when the complainant suspected that she was pregnant and eloped to the accused person’s home.
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The complainant’s mother reported the matter to the Police leading to the accused person’s arrest.
The man was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment of which 4 months was suspended. He will serve 20 months effectively.
In Zimbabwe, having sexual intercourse with a young person is a criminal act after President Emmerson Mnangagwa invoked the Presidential Powers Act to amend the Criminal Law Code to reinstate the age of consent to eighteen (18) years in January this year.
The age of consent is the age at which a person is considered to be legally competent to consent to sexual acts. It is the minimum age at which a person is considered old enough to be able to legally agree to sexual activity.
Statutory Instrument 2 of 2024 (Presidential Powers (Temporary Measures) (Criminal Laws (Protection of Children and Young Persons) Regulations, 2024) criminalised having sexual intercourse with anyone below the age of 18. Offenders face up to 10 years imprisonment.
Rape is committed by a male if he knowingly engages in sexual or anal intercourse with a female person without her consent. Sexual intercourse with a female below the age of twelve is also considered rape.
Furthermore, 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
