A Zvishavane pastor has been handed an effective 18-year prison sentence after he preyed on a male congregant. The 33-year-old man was convicted on three counts of aggravated indecent assault in a ruling delivered by the Kwekwe Regional Magistrates’ Court,
The court heard how the clergyman, after being invited to sleep over at the victim’s family home in Redcliff, betrayed their trust in the most heinous manner. He was offered a place to sleep in the same bed as the 18-year-old male victim, an act of hospitality he grotesquely exploited in the early hours of the morning.
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How The Pastor Preyed On The Young Congregant
Details presented in court painted a terrifying picture of the ordeal. The victim awoke around midnight to find the pastor caressing him. When confronted, the man of God offered a chilling justification. The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe’s news bulletin stated that the offender told the young man he was “too handsome” and that his lack of facial hair made him feel as if he was sharing a bed with a lady.
The situation escalated dramatically when the pastor produced a firearm, using it to intimidate the teenager into submission.
“The pastor threatened the victim with a firearm before forcibly removing his boxer shorts and committing the offence,” the authority reported, confirming that the violation occurred multiple times throughout that harrowing night.
Before departing for Zvishavane the next morning, the offender compounded the trauma by threatening to shoot the victim if he dared to reveal the assault to anyone.
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Breaking the Silence: The Path to Justice
Despite the dire threats, the young victim found the courage to break his silence, confiding in a trusted aunt. It was this decisive action by a family member that set the wheels of justice in motion. The aunt immediately accompanied him to a local police station to file a formal report, which led to the swift arrest of the pastor.
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The post 18-Year Sentence For Pastor Who Preyed On Male Congregant appeared first on iHarare News.
