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Noah Pito in Karoi
A 13-year-old Grade Seven pupil at a primary school in Karoi left residents of the small town shocked after she allegedly had sexual relationships with three sugar daddies, one of whom is suspected to have infected her with HIV.

The Karoi magistrates’ main court room spilled into the entrance hall last Friday as crowds jostled to hear how the three suspects – Chamunorwa Mudengezerwa (45), Luke Koronga (39) and Isaac Kajiri (35) – allegedly lured the minor with small tokens before sleeping with her on various occasions.

The three appeared before magistrate Mr Takunda Nyamandi, each charged with having sexual intercourse with a minor as defined in Section 70 of the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act Chapter 9;23.

Koronga pleaded guilty to the charges and will be sentenced today, while Mudengezerwa and Kajiri were remanded in custody to October 7.

Kajiri is yet to be charged with a more serious offence of deliberately infecting a person with HIV when he comes back to court.

It is the State’s case that sometime in August this year, Mudengezerwa proposed love to the girl in Chikangwe after inviting her to his barbershop.

Before she left the barbershop Mudengezerwa allegedly gave her a 25 cent bond coin to buy sweets.

Around 8pm on the same day it is also alleged Mudengezerwa invited the girl to his barbershop taking advantage of her father who was boozing at a local beer-hall.

After having sexual intercourse with the girl on the particular night, Mudengezerwa later continued inviting the girl for sexual intercourse during the night each time giving her small tokens.

The case only came to light after the girl’s brother alerted their aunt about how the girl was misbehaving.

The aunt then interrogated the girl resulting in her divulging her multiple sexual relationships. After the aunt had reported the matter to the police, a medical examination was also carried out at Karoi Hospital which revealed that the girl was HIV positive.

Mudengezerwa was denied bail on the grounds that he could interfere with justice since chances were high that he could reunite with the girl.

Koronga, who is a vendor at Chikangwe bus terminus, reportedly entered into a sexual relationship with the girl after he proposed love to her upon meeting her at the bus terminus sometime in July this year.

At around 8pm on the same day Koronga visited the girl’s home from where he lured her to a banana plantation near Tambawadya Primary School.

The two engaged in consensual sexual intercourse under the cover of banana trees.

Koronga will hear his fate tomorrow after he pleaded guilty to the charges.

He told the magistrate that he was aware that the girl was below the age of consent when he slept with her.

Kajiri’s case arose in February this year when he sold vegetables to the girl from his mother’s garden.

After picking vegetables for the girl, it is alleged that the accused took the girl to his bedroom where he allegedly asked for sexual intercourse.

The girl who turned him down initially later consented. After the act, he gave her a dollar note to silence her.