Cephas Shava
MWENEZI – Oden Mavhiyagudo (26) of Village 1, Muzhanjire Ranch under Chief Neshuro, was recently sentenced to 24 months in jail after he was convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old minor girl.
Magistrate Honest Musiiwa, however, conditionally suspended four months of the sentence, leaving Mavhiyagudo to effectively serve the remaining 20 months.
Though Mavhiyagudo pleaded not guilty to rape charges, the court found overwhelming evidence against him to merit a conviction.
He told the court that he was merely in love with the minor but had never slept with her.
In sentencing Mavhiyagudo, Musiiwa said abusers like Mavhiyagudo deserved lengthy custodial sentences that can send a strong deterrence message to other would-be-offenders.
The court heard that on July 7 this year, Mavhiyagudo proposed love to the girl and she accepted.
Three days later at around 11:00 hrs, Mavhiyagudo went to the minor’s homestead in Muzhanjire Ranch Village 2 where he found her working in the field and the two engaged in consensual sex in that field.
They then parted ways but later that same day at around 21:00 hrs, Mavhiyagudo returned to the minor’s homestead and took her to his place of residence.
When the minor’s mother learnt about it, she went to Mavhiyagudo’s homestead where she took her daughter back. A police report was later made leading to the arrest of Mavhiyagudo.
Angelinah Makonya appeared for the State.local
