A bar lady in Chitungwiza who forced a 27-year-old mentally challenged man to be intimate with her was on Monday sentenced to an effective seven years in jail. Patience Mbulaje (25) of Zengeza 4 who was employed at Dande Bar denied aggravated indecent assault charges when she appeared before Chitungwiza regional magistrate Ms Estere Chivasa.

Ms Chivasa found her guilty of the offence after the prosecutor Ms Joice Fusire proved a solid case against her.

She was sentenced to 10 years in prison, but had three years of the sentence suspended on condition she did not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

In assessing the appropriate sentence, Ms Chivasa noted that first female offenders deserve lenient sentences depending on the nature of the crime, but in this case there was nothing the court could do.

"Aggravated indecent assault is punishable as rape which has a term of imprisonment not exceeding 20 years and there is no option of a fine since it is a serious offence," she said.