The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has launched a manhunt for a suspected paedophile after reports indicated that a member of the Johanne Marange Apostolic Sect married a 15-year-old girl.
Reports claim that the young girl eloped to the elderly man (aged 65) and her parents are said to be appealing for help to locate and rescue her.
In a statement, the ZRP said:
Police are appealing for information about pictures circulating on social media where a man is seen holding a girl. It is being alleged that the man is aged 69 while the girl is aged 15 years and they are married.
Anyone with information about the pictures if the marriage subsists in Zimbabwe may report to their nearest police station for investigations to be instituted. We can not repost the pictures for ethical reasons.
Earlier, Muzvare Betty Makoni, Girl Child Network founder, said:
Parents appealing for the rescue of daughter aged 15 in Zimbabwe We must all act in unity and get this man arrested and this should happen immediately.
Parents have sent an appeal for help via audio. This man aged 69 took their daughter aged 15. Johanne Marange Apostolic Church.
Let’s work collectively as a community to get him arrested for marrying a 15-year-old girl. Any accomplices to this marriage must be arrested too.