Cop up for rape

Plaxcedes Hove Court Reporter
A POLICE officer based at Luveve Police Station in Bulawayo locked a Form Four pupil in his landlord’s house and allegedly raped her twice. The girl is a pupil at Luveve High school and is also the officer’s neighbour.

Elton Mlonyeni who was represented by Shepherd Shenje of Shenje legal practitioners yesterday appeared before Western Commonage provincial magistrate Willard Maphios Moyo facing two counts of rape.

He was granted $200 bail and was remanded to December 15. Prosecuting Mufaro Mageza said Mlonyeni forced himself on the Form Four pupil after locking her up in a room.

“Mlonyeni allegedly had sexual intercourse with her without her consent. She screamed for help but no one heard her,” he said.

The court heard that on November 18 at around 9AM in Gwabalanda, the girl went to the house looking for Mlonyeni’s landlord.

Upon arrival, she knocked on the door and Mlonyeni opened for her. He then grabbed her and pulled her inside the house before locking the door, the court heard.

The girl screamed but no one heard her as Mlonyeni had turned up the volume on his radio. Mageza further told the court that Mlonyeni put on a condom before raping the complainant twice.

When he attempted to rape her for a third time, she managed to overpower him and escaped, the court heard. She reported the rape to her mother who subsequently reported the assault to the police.