Alert neighbours rescued a three-year-old boy from a kidnapper who grabbed him outside a toilet and attempted to flee with him in broad daylight in Mutare.
The Mutare Magistrates' Court sentenced Lloyd Zviyuya, 40, to five years in prison for kidnapping the toddler at Dora Camp, near Taguta Stone Crushers, under Chief Zimunya in Mutare.
The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said Zviyuya targeted the boy on Oct. 25 as the child returned from a toilet.
Zviyuya had been watching the toddler before grabbing him by the neck and dragging him approximately 100 meters away.
He then lifted the boy and attempted to flee as the child struggled to free himself.
“A 61-year-old neighbour witnessed the incident and immediately raised the alarm, calling on other residents to intervene,” said the NPA in a statement.
A 27-year-old neighbour responded and confronted Zviyuya, triggering a physical struggle.
The neighbour managed to wrestle the child from Zviyuya's grip, bringing the kidnapping to an end.
Police subsequently arrested Zviyuya and brought him before the Mutare Magistrates' Court, which convicted him of kidnapping.
The court sentenced him to five years in prison but suspended one year on condition of good behavior, leaving him with an effective four-year prison term.
In a statement issued Oct. 30, the NPAZ welcomed the conviction and urged communities to remain vigilant against crimes targeting children.
"The protection of children is a shared responsibility, and those who prey on the vulnerable will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law," the authority said
