News / Local
HIV positive rapist sentenced to 15 years
14 Sep 2011 at 15:26hrs | Views
AN 18-year-old man from Fort Rixon will rue the day he raped two juveniles from his area and infected them with HIV. He was sentenced to 15 years in prison for the offence.
Although Bigboy Siphetha Mpofu, of Kombo Village 3 and was employed as a herdboy pleaded not guilty to the charges, he was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
His mother stormed out of the courtroom soon after regional magistrate Mrs Fadzai Mthombeni pronounced the sentence.
She sobbed profusely in the corridor and was comforted by relatives as they left Tredgold Building in Bulawayo.
Mpofu pleaded for the court's leniency saying he had just been convicted for an offence he did not commit.
He told the court that he does not go to church because he did not subscribe to that religion, as he was a traditionalist. Sentencing Mpofu, the magistrate said although he was a first time offender, she considered that he abused the trust rendered to him by the girls' families.
She however, said the court also considered that Mpofu lacked guidance as he went to school only up to Grade Five and had engaged in the abuse of alcohol from a tender age.
The magistrate initially sentenced him to 18 years and suspended three years on conditions.
The State's case was that on 20 August at about midday, Mpofu called the first complainant, an eight year old girl doing Grade Two at a local school with the intention of sending her to go and call the second complainant, a juvenile aged 11.
He claimed the 11-year-old girl was his girlfriend and wanted to meet her at sunset.
The court was told that he promised to give the two juveniles one US dollar to buy biscuits.
In the evening the two girls were sent by the first complainant's mother in the company of four other juveniles to go and charge a phone at a neighbour's homestead.
While there, they met Mpofu who instructed the first complainant to tell the second complainant to meet him behind the huts.
The court heard that the two girls went to the stated place and were joined by Mpofu who then forced the second complainant to lie on the ground and raped her once in the presence of the first complainant. After raping the second complainant, Mpofu then ordered the first complainant to also lie on the ground and raped her once.
The young girls went home and narrated their ordeal to their parents. The matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of Mpofu. The court heard that Mpofu tested HIV positive when he was examined at the hospital.
There are fears the juveniles could have contracted the virus and authorities are reportedly monitoring them since they are said to be in the window period.
Although Bigboy Siphetha Mpofu, of Kombo Village 3 and was employed as a herdboy pleaded not guilty to the charges, he was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
His mother stormed out of the courtroom soon after regional magistrate Mrs Fadzai Mthombeni pronounced the sentence.
She sobbed profusely in the corridor and was comforted by relatives as they left Tredgold Building in Bulawayo.
Mpofu pleaded for the court's leniency saying he had just been convicted for an offence he did not commit.
He told the court that he does not go to church because he did not subscribe to that religion, as he was a traditionalist. Sentencing Mpofu, the magistrate said although he was a first time offender, she considered that he abused the trust rendered to him by the girls' families.
She however, said the court also considered that Mpofu lacked guidance as he went to school only up to Grade Five and had engaged in the abuse of alcohol from a tender age.
The magistrate initially sentenced him to 18 years and suspended three years on conditions.
He claimed the 11-year-old girl was his girlfriend and wanted to meet her at sunset.
The court was told that he promised to give the two juveniles one US dollar to buy biscuits.
In the evening the two girls were sent by the first complainant's mother in the company of four other juveniles to go and charge a phone at a neighbour's homestead.
While there, they met Mpofu who instructed the first complainant to tell the second complainant to meet him behind the huts.
The court heard that the two girls went to the stated place and were joined by Mpofu who then forced the second complainant to lie on the ground and raped her once in the presence of the first complainant. After raping the second complainant, Mpofu then ordered the first complainant to also lie on the ground and raped her once.
The young girls went home and narrated their ordeal to their parents. The matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of Mpofu. The court heard that Mpofu tested HIV positive when he was examined at the hospital.
There are fears the juveniles could have contracted the virus and authorities are reportedly monitoring them since they are said to be in the window period.
Source - Byo24News
