Woman jailed 14 months for kidnapping minor

HARARE - A 27-YEAR-OLD woman, who abducted an 11-year-old girl and employed her as a housemaid, was yesterday jailed to an effective 14 months in prison after being convicted on two charges of kidnapping and restriction on employment of children respectively.

Self-employed Beauty Rangarira of Plot 46, Tynwald South, Harare, took the minor (name supplied) from Chachacha in Shurugwi to Harare without the consent of her parents and employed her as a housemaid.

The complainant's mother, however, recovered her child after a month and made a report to the police, leading to Rangarira's arrest.

Gweru magistrate Vimbai Makora initially sentenced Rangarira to 20 months on the kidnapping charge, but suspended six months for five years on condition of good behaviour.

On the restriction on employment of children charge, the accused was handed a wholly suspended six months.

Rangarira, who denied the charges, insisting that she took the minor, who was staying with her (Rangarira's) sister for two years in Shurugwi after the child's mother had remarried with the intention of educating her, wept uncontrollably after the sentence.