5-year-old wreaks havoc between neighbours

By Rejoice Phiri | Mar. 4, 2023 | 2 Min read

In her defence, the mother of the five-year-old boy denied the allegations

A-FIVE-YEAR-OLD boy’s alleged sexual misconduct has caused some misunderstanding between Harare neighbours who have taken the matter to the civil courts.

One of the parents of the affected child (names withheld to protect the minors) this week approached Harare magistrate Tamara Chibende to seek a peace order against her neighbour who she accuses of insulting, assaulting and threatening to kill her. The offending neighbour was accused of refusing to entertain complaints by her neighbour over her five-year-old son’s misconduct.

“I have come to apply for a peace order against this woman because she is threatening my peace. She confronted me and I refused to entertain her and walked back to my house. She continued to follow me. I got into my bedroom and locked myself inside, but she started shouting saying that she was going to kill me and nothing will happen to her because her husband is a police officer,” the parent told Chibende.

In her defence, the mother of the five-year-old boy denied the allegations, saying her neighbour was the one provoking her after accusing her son of indulging in sexual play with her minor daughter.

“Your honour, I have never gone to her house with a knife or assaulted her. The problem she has with me is that I refused to discipline my son when she came to tell me that she had seen him the previous day doing sexual stuff with her daughter. I told her that she should have reported the issue to me the day it happened because if I discipline the child now he will not understand the reasons why I am doing so,” the five-year-old’s mother said.

She added that the applicant had previously approached her along with other people in the community to accuse her son of sexually abusing their minor children.

“They came to my house and this other woman told me that her daughter had developed a rash on her private parts following the sexual misconduct she had with my son. I told her that I did not believe her words, adding that if they see it fit they must go to the police to report a rape case against my minor child,” she said.

Chibende granted the peace order.