A regional public prosecutor in Chipinge has been jailed for defeating the course of justice after he altered key facts in a rape case involving a 13-year-old girl and her uncle.

Timothy Katsande (34) was sentenced to 12 months in prison by Mutare Provincial Magistrate Anne Ndiraya after a court found he drafted a false statement that misrepresented the circumstances of the crime.

The court heard that the girl was raped by her 30-year-old uncle in Chipinge on 28 December 2024.

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The matter was promptly reported to police and the suspect was arrested two days later on a charge of rape under section 65 of the Criminal Law Code.

Katsande who had been assigned to prosecute the case later produced a Statement of Agreed Facts that contradicted the official police docket.

His version wrongly stated that the accused and the victim were not related and suggested the incident involved consensual sexual intercourse.

The altered account led the court to accept a guilty plea to a lesser charge of engaging in sexual intercourse with a minor.

The uncle was subsequently given a 36-month sentence, with 12 months suspended leaving an effective two-year jail term.

The victim's parents challenged the authenticity of the agreed facts and reported the matter to the Zimbabwe Anti-Corruption Commission resulting in Katsande's arrest.

Seven months of his sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour.

A further five months were suspended on condition that he completes 245 hours of community service at Chipinge Hospital.