Rape cases continue to worry police

Staff Writer

Cases of rape continue to haunt communities in Matebeleland North Province despite efforts made by law enforcement agents to end the crime.
A month ago, a Grade 7 learner gave birth during her examination and recently there were reports of another young girl from Victoria Falls suffering rape for two years at the hands of her 23-year-old cousin.
The 23-year-old man from Mkhosana, whose identity cannot be revealed to protect the victim, started raping the girl when she was eight and was doing Grade 3, resident magistrate Godswill Mavenge was told.
The man was not asked to plead to the charges.
According to court records, the accused raped the girl between January and December in 2017 and again on August 5 this year.
On the first count, prosecutors alleged that the accused raped the victim when her parents left her in his custody over a weekend.
He allegedly told the girl, who was seated in the dining room at the time, that he wanted to teach her something but she refused to comply.
The man allegedly followed the girl to her bedroom where he abused her.
“He then followed me where l was sleeping,” the girl narrated in a sworn statement.
“He held both of my hands and removed my clothes (and) he was naked. He then mounted on top of me and had sexual intercourse with me.”
Prosecutors said the accused raped the girl several times after the first incident as he took advantage of her parents’ absence.
“I could not tell anyone about the incident because he threatened me,” the girl said.
On August 5 the man allegedly raped the girl again during the day when her parents were away.
“The accused sent my siblings to go and fetch some wild fruits at the nearby bush and he then dragged me to his bedroom (and) whilst inside, he removed my clothes and had sexual intercourse (with me),” she said.
He allegedly threatened to kill her if she reported the abuse to anyone.
The matter, however, came to light when the girl told her uncle (name withheld) about the abuse on October 15 leading to the accused’s arrest.