Boy, 17, becomes first to be CANED for calling a woman a prostitute on Facebook

• Teenager secretly photographed a woman at her office and posted it online

A teenager will be beaten with two strokes of a cane for calling a woman a prostitute on Facebook, a court has ruled.

The 17-year-old, from Zimbabwe, is believed to be the first in the southern African nation to be punished for making such a comment on the site.

The boy, from the rural town of Chiredzi, admitted using his mobile phone to photograph a woman talking on the phone at her office without her knowledge.

He then posted the photo online with a caption saying she was 'a typical Chiredzi prostitute', in the local Shona language, on February 6.

The woman saw the photo as the pair were friends on Facebook and called police, who arrested the boy. His Facebook page has now been removed.

In mitigation, the boy told the judge he was not familiar with the social networking site, was an orphan and the main source of income for his family, RadioVop Zimbabwe said.

However, magistrate Tinashe Ndokera found the boy guilty of 'criminal assault'. He ordered him to be caned twice.

Corporal punishment is still legal in Zimbabwe for boys under the age of 18.

It is also used as a discipline measure in homes and schools as well as in the penal system.

Article 353 of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act says 'moderate corporate punishment' maybe used but 'not exceeding six strokes' and it must be 'inflicted in private in a manner and place and by a person prescribed by the court'.

The boy must also be certified by a doctor as fit to receive the punishment and his parent or guardian is entitled to be present.