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Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
The trial of four teenagers, who allegedly gang raped a minor aged 14 at a party after she became intoxicated, opened last week with the State leading evidence from four witnesses.
Tapiwanashe Marufu (19), Tapiwa Mlambo (18), and their two accomplices aged 16 and 14 appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Taurai Manuwere on rape charges.
Judgement will be delivered this Friday. The trial opened with the complainant giving an account of what transpired on the day.
She told the court that on February 24 at around 10 am she and her friend (also a minor) left home for a birthday party in Glen View 7 Harare.
She said when they arrived her friend offered her a Bally House drink and she drank it and started feeling dizzy.
The court heard that accused number 3, who is a minor, carried her into one of the spare bedrooms, placed her on the bed, and left the room.
It is alleged that he went into other rooms and came back later and started fondling her breasts and she removed his hands and he left the room.
The complainant also said that accused number 3 came back with Marufu and undressed her. She tried to scream but Marufu closed her mouth with one hand and both raped her once.
The complainant said she passed out after being raped. According to the State, the complainant’s friend witnessed Mlambo and accused number 4 taking turns to rape her friend.
The complainant was rescued by Bruce and Raphael (both minors) who came to remove the accused persons from the room.
When she woke up around 6 pm, she was told by her friend that she had been raped.
She was taken home where she narrated her ordeal to her sister and the matter was reported at the police station leading to the arrest of the quartet.
Mr Tawanda Nyandoro prosecuted.
Online Reporter