Mother Pleads for Help After 13-Year-Old Son Is Sentenced to 15 Years in Jail for Indecent Assault

Mother Launches Desperate Plea to Save 13-Year-Old Son After He Is Sentenced to 15 Years in Jail for Indecent Assault

A heartbroken mother is desperately fighting to overturn a 15-year prison sentence imposed on her 13-year-old son for aggravated indecent assault.

The teen was convicted of aggravated indecent assault against a 7-year-old relative, but his mother is adamant that the punishment does not fit the crime.

“How can a 13-year-old be sentenced to 15 years, more years than his age? They could have given him a more lenient sentence,” the distressed mother told CITE.

The Alleged Indecent Assault Incident

The incident reportedly occurred in April when the boy was staying with his aunt in Plumtree. The mother explained that the 7-year-old victim had been visiting the family’s homestead during the school holidays.

“There is another homestead belonging to my paternal grandmother, and a woman is employed to take care of it. During the school holidays in April, that woman’s seven-year-old child visited our homestead because schools were closed. The children, all boys, slept in one room,” the mother said.

Exposure to Inappropriate Content and Troubling Allegations

The mother revealed that her son had been exposed to inappropriate material through his soccer teammates, who had been watching pornography.

“During soccer practice, the senior players were watching pornography and made him watch as well. When he got home, he narrated what he had seen to his siblings, while demonstrating it to the seven-year-old boy,” she recounted.

The 7-year-old later told his mother about the incident, but she initially dismissed it as children being mischievous. However, the boy’s father believed there might have been an attempted rape, and the matter was reported to the police.

Controversial Sentencing and Family’s Appeal

Despite the police initially indicating that no action would be taken since both children involved were minors, the case was later re-opened and taken to court in Gwanda. On August 8th, the 13-year-old boy was sentenced to 15 years in prison for aggravated indecent assault.

The mother has now hired a lawyer, Stanley Chinyanganya, to appeal the decision. Chinyanganya confirmed that the boy was charged with aggravated indecent assault. He revealed that when he appeared before court he was not represented by a lawyer.

“At the time of his arrest and court appearance, the boy was not represented by a lawyer. We have now applied for review of the magistrate’s decision, which is being processed. Tomorrow morning (Friday), we will proceed to Plumtree to make a bail application to get the minor released,” Chinyanganya said.

Desperate Distraught Mother Appeals For Assistance

The mother is appealing for assistance as the case continues, and she expressed concern for her son’s well-being who is currently jailed at Bulawayo Prison.

“I had to sell a cow to hire a lawyer to file an appeal and apply for bail. I am appealing for assistance, as the case may continue. My son is crying, as he is the youngest in the prison,” the mother said.

The post Mother Pleads for Help After 13-Year-Old Son Is Sentenced to 15 Years in Jail for Indecent Assault appeared first on iHarare News.