A teenager from Kadoma, Zimbabwe, has been convicted for falsely accusing a man of r@pe, an offence that could have led to a lengthy prison term for the accused had the falsehood not been retracted.
The court’s decision to issue a lenient sentence has sparked significant backlash online, particularly from Zimbabwean men who argue that justice has not been adequately served.
The 18-year-old woman, whose identity remains undisclosed for legal reasons, appeared before the Kadoma Magistrates’ Court on charges of deliberately providing false information to the police.
According to court proceedings, the incident began on the night of May 9, 2025, when the teenager filed a police report claiming she had been r@ped by a man known only as “Mupostori.” However, on May 19, she returned to the police and admitted that the allegation was false. She clarified that the man had assaulted her after she tried to search his pockets and that she had fabricated the r@pe claim out of spite.
Following a full trial, the court found the teenager guilty. However, instead of a custodial sentence, the court opted for a rehabilitative approach. She was sentenced to six months in prison, with two months suspended for five years on the condition of good behaviour. The remaining four months were suspended on the condition that she completes 140 hours of community service.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA) confirmed the conviction in a post shared on X (formerly Twitter) on Thursday, June 5, 2025. The post quickly went viral, drawing a strong response from users. While some welcomed the conviction as a positive step, many, particularly male commentators, voiced outrage over what they described as an inadequate punishment for a crime that could have irreversibly damaged an innocent man’s life.
