Beitbridge, Zimbabwe | A 20-year-old man from Ndambe Village in Beitbridge has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for kidnapping and raping a 16-year-old Form Three student who rejected his romantic advances.
Dominic Chirenje, who denied the charges, was found guilty by Beitbridge regional magistrate Ms Charity Maphosa on Thursday. The magistrate imposed a 15-year effective sentence, conditionally suspending three years of the initial 18-year term.
The incident occurred on July 31, 2023, during a livestock sales show at Jam Farm. Chirenje, who attended the event, proposed to the 16-year-old girl, but she declined. Later that evening, as the girl and her friends were leaving, Chirenje followed them, ordered her friends to leave, and kidnapped her.
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Chirenje then dragged the girl into the bushes and raped her before abandoning her and fleeing the scene. The victim reported the incident to the police the following day.
The State prosecutor, Miss Tsitsi Mtukwa, presented compelling evidence that led to Chirenje’s conviction.
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