Mvuma man sentenced to 17 years in prison for sexual assault of nephew
By Dumisani Ndlovu Senior Court Reporter
A 33-year-old Mvuma man has been sentenced to an effective 17 years in prison for sodomising his 16-year-old nephew.
Kudakwashe Bhachi who agreed sexually abusing the juvenile was convicted on his own plea of guilty.
Regional magistrate Christopher Maturure found him guilty of aggravated indecent assault and sentenced him to 17 years in prison.
Passing sentence, the clear spoken Maturure said the courts had a duty to send a clear message that abuse of children is not condoned by society.
“Cases of sexual abuse have reached alarming levels and the courts therefore should pass deterrent sentences. In passing the sentence, the court considered that accused pleaded guilty to the charges, he did not waste the court’s time. A plea of guilty attracts lenience. It’s an indication that the offender is remorseful. However, the accused is facing a very serious offence,” said Maturure.
The Regional Magistrate highlighted that the accused was determined to commit the crime since he did not have anal sexual intercourse with a minor once but several times.
The prosecution had requested a 20-year sentence, but the court sentenced Bhachi to 17 years in prison. The court heard that in March 2024, the victim was taken to a homestead to work as a domestic worker. On the same day, Bhachi forced the victim to lie down and removed their clothes. He then engaged in non-consensual sexual activity with the victim on multiple occasions between March and April 2024.
The state argued that Bhachi had a responsibility to protect the victim, who was in his care, but instead exploited his trust. The state emphasized that the victim was vulnerable due to his age and circumstances, and that Bhachi took advantage of this. The state requested a sentence of at least 20 years to serve as a deterrent to others who might consider similar actions.
“You were the complainant’s guardian since the complainant’s father died and his mother ran away with another man. Instead of protecting him you chose to abuse him knowing well that he had nowhere he could have reported. Home should be a safe place but you made him run away from home. You took advantage of him given the age disparities. You are 33 years and he is 16, which is almost half your age,” said the state.
