Chinhoyi security guard jailed 46 years for sodomising 10 boys

By Walter Nyamukondiwa

A Chinhoyi security guard who sexually assaulted 10 boys after luring them with a bicycle and later showing them pornographic material has been sentenced to an effective 46 years in jail.

Chinhoyi regional magistrate Mr Felix Mawadze sentenced Chenjerai Mairosi (38) to 52 years in prison before setting aside six years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence.

Mairosi was convicted due to overwhelming evidence after a fully contested trial.

He denied the allegations.

However, Mr Mawadze found Mairosi guilty on five counts of aggravated indecent assault involving five boys.

For the five counts, Mr Mawadze sentenced Mairosi to 50 years with each count attracting 10 years.

At least three counts were downgraded to indecent assault and were treated as one count for the purpose of sentencing.

For the offence, Mr Mawadze slapped Mairosi with a further two years.

Mairosi was, however, acquitted on two other counts of aggravated indecent assault.

In passing sentence, Mr Mawadze said he could have slapped Mairosi with a 100-year jail term, but considered his age, saying it was tantamount to condemning him to life imprisonment.

Prosecutor Mr Lucky Dube led evidence from 16 witnesses including the 10 boys with eight managing to prove varying degrees of indecent assault.

Giving evidence, some of the boys described in graphic detail how Mairosi handcuffed them before covering their mouths with a blue tie.

He went on to rape them.

Mairosi denied the charges saying people were basing their allegation on the fact that he lives alone, before asking the court whether it was a crime to live alone.

A divorced father of one, Mairosi told the court in mitigation that he had a child to look after to which magistrate Mr Mawadze said he had failed to prove love for his child.

Mr Mawadze said he could not have shown affection to children from his neighbourhood if he could not live with his own child.

On the use of handcuffs, Mairosi denied that he owned a pair of handcuffs, but the children described the cuffs as being silver in colour.

Medical affidavits showed varying degrees of penetration, ranging from possible to definite with cracks observed.

Giving evidence, a Grade Three pupil said when Mairosi removed his shorts, he saw a red underwear.

Known as “Kule” by both parents and children in the neighbourhood, Mairosi would give the boys various trinkets such as money and a chance to play games on his cellphone after the abuse.

The boys said they were also attracted by prospects of riding his bicycle.

Giving evidence in camera, some of the boys said they went on to demand money from him to buy their silence.

At one point, Mairosi forced one of the boys under the bed after the landlady at his lodgings knocked on the door while he was abusing the boy.

A parent whose child was abused, but declined to be named said justice had been served.

“The children will definitely need counselling because some of them do not fully appreciate what happened to them. It will affect them later on in life if they are not counselled,” said the parent. The Herald