A Mutare regional court has found two former Masasi High School students guilty of raping a 17-year-old fellow learner.
Regional Magistrate Sekai Chiwundura sentenced both boys, who were 16 and 17 at the time of the offence, to 10 years in prison for rape. The sentence was wholly suspended. On a separate count of aggravated indecent assault, each received an additional 5 years.
The two entered not guilty pleas throughout the trial. They were represented by attorneys from Justice for Children Trust. Their defense argued that the act was consensual and that they did not take advantage of the victim, who they said had cognitive difficulties.
Magistrate Chiwundura cited the boys’ juvenile status at the time of the crime as the reason for suspending the full 10-year term for rape.
The case traces back to Marange in Manicaland Province. It came into public view in late September 2025 after Zimbabwe Republic Police announced that two suspects had been arrested. The arrests followed the spread of a video of the incident on social media. Police confirmed that both the complainant and the accused had been found.
Separate concerns were also raised about how the footage was circulated. According to reports, the person who first flagged the matter to school officials later shared the video online.
Prosecutors, led by Tom Nyatsura, told the court the assault happened around 4pm on 8 February 2025. The two accused were walking home from school with the 17-year-old complainant when they allegedly took her to a secluded wooded area.
Both convicted boys have now appealed to the Mutare High Court. Their grounds are that the magistrate erred and that the punishment was too harsh. The appeal is awaiting hearing.
The State has not yet said if it will file its own appeal challenging the suspension of the rape sentence.
