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280 hours of community service for bedding a minor

by Staff reporter
27 Oct 2013 at 06:12hrs | Views
A 23-year old Mbare man who lived with a 14-year-old as his wife for some months before the relationship went sour after a dispute over rentals has been ordered to perform 280 hours of community service.

Pardon Mudemba pleaded guilty to contravening the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act (Chapter 9.23) by engaging in a sexual relationship with his juvenile lover.

He appeared before Mbare magistrate Ms Shelly Zvenyika on Friday. Prosecutor Lawrence Gangarahwe told the court that the two fell in love some time early this year with Mudemba later promising to marry the girl.

In July the two are said to have agreed to go to Mudemba's rural home in Chaza village near Hoko Primary School in Murehwa without the consent of the juvenile's sister who is her guardian.

The lovebirds later resolved to come back to Harare and sought lodgings in Mbare.

However, the relationship went sour when a misunderstanding over rentals saw Mudemba chasing away his "wife" who went on to seek refuge at her sister's house.

The juvenile's sister advised her to make a police report.

In mitigation, Mudemba told the court that the minor lied to him that she was 17 years old.

Ms Zvenyika sentenced him to 12 months in prison but suspended four months on condition of good behaviour while the remaining eight months were set aside on condition that Mudemba does 280 hours of unpaid work.

Source - sundaymail
More on: #Minor, #Court