Coglainmore Blessed Sibanda, a 19-year-old from Matetsi in Hwange District, Matabeleland North Province, has been found not guilty of allegedly raping a 14-year-old girl from Breakfast.

Sibanda was accused of impregnating the girl and transmitting a sexually transmitted disease on April 18 this year. However, Regional Magistrate Mark Dzira acquitted him due to inconsistencies in the State’s case.

The girl and her 13-year-old sister had sneaked out of their home on Independence Day to attend celebrations. Their whereabouts were unknown for five days, until they were found hiding in a bush on April 24. The girl fell ill with stomach pains on April 26, prompting her mother to take her to the police, who then referred her to Victoria Falls Hospital.

At the hospital, it was revealed that the girl was pregnant and had an STI. She implicated Sibanda, claiming he had offered them shelter and raped her. However, Sibanda denied the allegations. During the trial, inconsistencies emerged in the testimonies of the complainant, her sister, and mother. The witnesses contradicted their written statements, and conflicting accounts of the alleged rape date and room details were presented.

Sibanda’s lawyer, Thulani Nkala, argued that the inconsistencies left no evidence to substantiate the essential elements of the offence. As a result, Regional Magistrate Mark Dzira found Sibanda not guilty and acquitted him. A court order for the termination of the pregnancy was issued in May.

Meanwhile it is a crime to have sexual relations with individuals under the age of 18,this according to the Criminal Law Amendment Protection of Children and Young Person’s Act 2024.

New Ziana