US-based woman pleads not guilty to aggravated indecent assault, court hears conflicting accounts

Makedenge told Regional Magistrate Noel Mupeiwa she was innocent of the allegations (image source)

Harare — A United States-based woman, Zvikomborero Maria Makedenge, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to a charge of aggravated indecent assault at the Harare regional magistrate’s court, where defence and prosecution presented sharply divergent versions of events that allegedly unfolded in August.

Represented by lawyer Lenon Rwizi, Makedenge told Regional Magistrate Noel Mupeiwa she was innocent of the allegations. According to the defence, the 16-year-old complainant visited Makedenge’s residence on August 2, 2025, complaining of flu and a headache. The accused prepared a ginger drink and offered to fetch paracetamol, the court heard. Rwizi said the complainant later made sexual advances that Makedenge rejected and reprimanded, and that the subsequent complaint was motivated by fear the accused would inform her boyfriend a relative of the complainant and by hostility from the boyfriend’s family, who allegedly opposed the relationship.

The State painted a different picture. Prosecutors allege that after handing Makedenge a broom, the complainant retreated to a spare bedroom and was followed by the accused, who then forced him into the room, restrained him with an electric cable, removed his trousers and engaged in non-consensual intercourse. The prosecution says the accused threatened the boy with silence and promised to take him to the United Kingdom, where she is employed. A medical examination was conducted and a medical affidavit is expected to be tendered as evidence.

Magistrate Mupeiwa cleared the public gallery to allow the underage complainant to testify in private, in line with protections for minors in sexual-offence proceedings. The case will proceed as the court considers witness testimony and forensic material. Observers noted the sensitivity of cases involving minors and the importance of careful handling to protect victims while ensuring a fair trial for the accused.