MUTARE– A man of the cloth is in the docks for allegedly raping and impregnating his 14-year-old sister in-law who was sitting for her grade seven exams.
By Donald Nyarota
Felix Mazengero (30) of Benwin appeared before Magistrate Prisca Manhimbi charged with contravening Section 70 (1)(a) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act Chapter 9:23 “Having sexual intercourse with a young person”.
It is alleged that the accused, who is married to the complainant’s sister, sometime in August 2018 proposed love to the minor who accepted and a relationship was established.
Mazengero, who pleaded not guilty, continued his affair with the minor until sometime in June 2019 when the accused person visited the complainant at her place of residence at around 2000 hours.
He allegedly took advantage of the fact that the minor’s mother had left for South Africa looking for employment, and the two had consensual intercourse once without protection.
In the same month, the complainant missed her period and she informed the accused who then promised to marry her after she finished writing her grade seven examinations.
However, alert teachers at her school noticed changes on the minor and on the 2nd of October 2019, a police officer Constable Kanhukamwe received a tip off that the minor was pregnant.
Const. Kanhukamwe visited the school to investigate and interviewed the complainant who then confirmed that she was pregnant and that her brother in-law, was responsible for the pregnancy.
The accused was then escorted to Mutare Provincial Hospital for medical examinations leading to the arrest of the accused person.
Relatives of the complainant who spoke on the condition of anonymity said the case of the accused has been dragging, with suspicions that the accused is using his influence to sweep his case under the carpet.
“We are afraid that this issue is taking too long because the accused person has influence, we are hoping that justice will prevail because Mazengero should have known better since he is an adult.
“It’s even more sad considering that he is a pastor yet he takes advantage of such a young person,” said the bitter relative.
The accused will now face trial on January 24.
