A 23-YEAR-OLD lecturer at a little-known Harare college was
last Friday sentenced to 12 years imprisonment for raping a student.
The convict pleaded not guilty when he appeared before
magistrate Gloria Takundwa, who, however, found him guilty and suspended four
years on condition of good behaviour.
He will serve eight years jail time. In convicting him,
Takundwa said he considered the age of the convict to arrive at the sentence.
He also said the sentence needed to send a stern warning to would-be offenders
who prey on students.
The court heard that on February 15, while at the college
premises in the central business district, the convict asked the 19-year-old
complainant (name withheld to protect her identity) not to call him “Sir”, but
daddy, honey or sweety.
The complainant then went home and started communicating
with the abusive lecturer over the phone and the following morning he tried to
kiss and fondle her breast, but she refused.
The court further heard that on February 20, the convict
asked the complainant to remain behind after a lecture and she complied. He
then ordered her to accompany him to the reception area where he locked the
door and raped her.
She bolted out of the room, leaving behind her satchel. She
then narrated her ordeal to the first police officer she met. The officer told
her to proceed to the police base along First Street.
The convict was arrested within 30 minutes of committing
the offence and the complainant was referred to the hospital for medical
examination.
Chipo Matambo appeared for the State. Newsday
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