A 39-year-old man has been sentenced to an effective 17 years in prison after luring a 12-year-old girl to his home under the guise of performing a spiritual cleansing ritual, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has confirmed.
The Tredgold Magistrates’ Court convicted the man on 6 August, 2026, following an incident that occurred on August 2.
The victim had been sent to a local shop by her grandmother at around 1530 hours when the offender intercepted her and tricked her into returning to his house.
Court evidence revealed that the man exploited the child’s fears about her school performance.
“The offender told the victim that she was being followed by evil spirits that were hindering her success and causing her to fail at school,” said NPAZ.
He then instructed the victim to go to his bedroom and “wash her face three times to clear the bad luck.”
Once inside the bedroom, the sinister ritual turned into a violent assault.
According to the prosecution, “the offender ordered the victim to undress and lie on the bed. He also removed his clothes and raped her, telling her that having sexual intercourse with her was necessary to get rid of the evil spirits.” He warned the child not to reveal the incident to anyone.
The 12-year-old eventually disclosed the abuse to her grandmother the following day after experiencing severe difficulty sleeping. A police report was immediately filed, leading to the perpetrator’s swift arrest and conviction.
In a related incident, a 21-year-old Mabvuku man was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Harare Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday for repeatedly raping his 15-year-old niece, with the court hearing how he used threats of hiring violent “zvigure” (Nyau dancers) to force her into submission.
According to NPAZ, the abuse began in 2024 when the victim was home alone.
The offender entered her bedroom and forced her onto the bed. When she resisted, he issued a chilling ultimatum: comply or face assault by hired “zvigure.”
Fearing for her safety, the terrified teenager submitted, and he raped her.
The abuse continued over several occasions, with the offender manipulating the child into a twisted “relationship” to conceal his crimes.
The nightmare only ended after the victim’s mother discovered her daughter had visited her boyfriend.
When the mother threatened to subject the girl to a virginity test, the victim broke down and disclosed the years of sexual abuse, leading to a police report and the man’s arrest.
