Cop rapes job-seeker

Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter
A police officer who raped a job-seeker has been jailed for an effective 14 years, while his colleague who assisted him to commit the offence by gagging the victim was slapped with an effective 12-year term.
In sentencing the pair, regional magistrate Mr Hoseah Mujaya said Nigel Chirimuta (26) and Sifiso Mthombeni (30) brought the name of the police force into disrepute.

“I have taken into account that these are officers who acted contrary to their duties and who have brought the name of the criminal justice system in general into disrepute, especially the police force,” he said.

Chirimuta, who perpetrated the offence, had four years of his 18-year jail term suspended on condition of good behaviour, while his accomplice Mthombeni also had four years suspended from his 16-year sentence.

In aggravation, prosecutor Mr Liberty Gono said: “Instead of protecting citizens against perpetrators of crimes, these two were at the forefront of committing a crime.
“The rape was committed in the police barracks which is a place where people expect law to be enforced by inhabitants therein. As a result of the rape, a child was conceived and it compromises the life of the complainant.”

In his defence, Chirimuta submitted that the sexual intercourse was consensual, while Mthombeni denied the allegations of assisting him.
On January 12 2012, the complainant who was looking for a job met Chirimuta at Willowvale Police Protection Unit in Southerton.

Chirimuta misrepresented to her that his aunt was looking for a housemaid and ordered her to follow him.
They proceeded to Kuwadzana 3 after telling the complainant that they were going to his aunt’s house.

Instead, he led her to his house which he shared with Mthombeni and the victim refused to enter the house and asked Chirimuta to call his aunt outside.
Chirimuta made a call and pretended to be talking to the said aunt.

After some minutes, Mthombeni arrived and went into the house and Chirimuta suddenly dragged the victim and forced her in.
Mthombeni then locked the door from inside and watched while Chirimuta raped the woman.