There is an ever increasing number of murder cases arising from what are usually referred to as “crimes of passion” and these extramarital activities are at the center of these horrendous crimes, Justice Martin Makonese has noted.
In his keynote address at the official opening of the 2018 Hwange High Court Circuit on the 5th of March 2018, Justice Makonese said members of the society resort to violence as a means of resolving disputes.
“Hardly a day passes in this country without the media reporting that a spouse or girlfriend has been killed in cold blood by a dejected or frustrated partner.
“I note with concern that there is an ever increasing number of murder cases arising from what are usually referred to as crimes of passion, the real causes for the upsurge in these crimes of passion are diverse but misunderstandings from love triangles and extramarital activities are usually at the center of these horrendous crimes,
“It is usually the case that when one partner who has heavily invested in another both financially and emotionally discovers that the other has been cheating, sudden rage and anger erupts causing the aggrieved party to react in violent fashion against his spouse, boyfriend or girlfriend,
“However a number of pieces of legislation such as the Domestic Violence Act (Chapter 5:16) have been put in place in a bid to curb this social vice,” said Justice Makonese.
He added that the general disintegration of the family unit coupled with the harsh economic conditions has left many families or couples in distress with no platform for the settlement of domestic disputes.
These crimes of passion occur amongst both the rich and the poor.
“I urge all stakeholders namely the Zimbabwe Republic Police not to turn a blind eye to families or relationships in distress, on our part the courts will continue to impose stiff and deterrent sentences against perpetrators of such violent crimes,
“It is also saddening to note that cases of child sexual abuse continue to increase , the harsh sentences ranging between 10 years and 20 imprisonment being imposed by the courts depending on the circumstances do not appear to deter offenders,
“My view is that when mature adult persons rape girls as young as 2 years, life imprisonment should be imposed, such offenders should be completely removed from society and locked away for the rest of their lives so that they do not reoffend,
“What is most disturbing is that such offenders are usually HIV positive and thus expose young girls to the risk of infection,” added Makonese.
Archaic traditional beliefs also contribute to child sexual abuse as some men believe having sexual relations with young girls enhances their financial fortunes.
