A 27-YEAR-OLD Harare woman, who abducted an 11-year-old girl and employed her as a housemaid, was yesterday jailed to an effective 14 months in prison after being convicted on two charges of kidnapping and restriction on employment of children respectively. Stephen Chadenga OWN CORRESPONDENT
Self-employed Beauty Rangarira of Plot 46, Tynwald South, Harare, took the minor (name supplied) from Chachacha in Shurugwi to Harare without the consent of her parents and employed her as a housemaid.
The complainant’s mother, however, recovered her child after a month and made a report to the police, leading to Rangarira’s arrest.
Gweru magistrate Vimbai Makora initially sentenced Rangarira to 20 months on the kidnapping charge, but suspended six months for five years on condition of good behaviour.
On the restriction on employment of children charge, the accused was handed a wholly suspended six months.
Rangarira, who denied the charges, insisting that she took the minor, who was staying with her (Rangarira’s) sister for two years in Shurugwi after the child’s mother had remarried with the intention of educating her, wept uncontrollably after the sentence.
The State case was that on the May 18 2014, Rangarira went to Shurugwi and met the complainant at Chachacha business centre.
The accused took the minor to Harare without informing her mother.
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The minor worked as a maid taking care of Rangarira’s minor kids aged two and six.
Attempts by the minor’s mother to bring her child back did not yield any results until she got information that the minor was in Harare with the accused.
A report was made to the police, leading to the arrest and recovery of the child on June 7.
