Bulawayo Man Escapes Jail After Girl, 14, Admits She Lied About Her Age To Sleep With Him

A Bulawayo man has walked free from a serious rape charge after the 14-year-old complainant made a stunning courtroom admission. The teenager confessed she had lied about her age and consented to the sexual encounter, leaving the court with no choice but to acquit the 24-year-old defendant.

Court Hears Of Nighttime Meeting

The case, heard before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira, began on 6 October. Prosecutor Jethro Mada outlined how the girl had run away from home and entered the city centre around 5PM. According to the court proceedings, she met the accused, Siphosenkosi Sibanda, that night.

“She met the accused person at night and he offered her a place to spend the night,” Mada told the court.

The prosecution alleged that unprotected sexual intercourse took place during that night. Under Zimbabwean law, any sexual act with a person under 18 is statutory rape, as a minor cannot legally give consent.

A Dramatic Turn In The Witness Box

The trial’s trajectory shifted entirely when the young complainant herself testified. She delivered testimony that fundamentally altered the case against Sibanda.

The girl stated she had misled the man about her true age and was not forced into the act. She expressed remorse for her actions, directing an apology to her parents from the stand.

“I wronged my parents for what I did and I’m apologising to them. I told my father what happened for me ending up having sexual but I had no opportunity to tell him that I agreed to the act because he was very angry,” she said.

Her admission was pivotal. The court concluded that Sibanda genuinely believed, based on her deception, that she was an 18-year-old adult. With this reasonable belief established, he could not be found guilty of the rape charge and was acquitted.

Magistrate’s Advice To The Teenager

Before discharging Sibanda, Magistrate Mark Dzira addressed the 14-year-old girl directly. He emphasised her status as a child and urged her to refocus on her future and her studies.

“Your time will come, but for now go home and continue asking for forgiveness from your parents because what you did was very wrong, you can only show that you are sorry by performing better in school,” Magistrate Dzira advised.

The ruling, based on the specific evidence of deception presented, allowed Siphosenkosi Sibanda to leave the court a free man.