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Tsenulo Moyo
A 40-YEAR-OLD man from Tsholotsho in Matabeleland North Province was arrested for allegedly raping his five-year-old niece after she was left in his care.
This was heard when the accused, whose name is being withheld to protect the victim, appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Sibonginkosi Mnkandla facing rape charges.
He pleaded not guilty to the alleged offense. The matter was remanded to 27 December for continuation of the trial.
In his defense, the accused alleged that the victim was being coached to put these rape allegations against him.
“It’s either she also saw a sexual intercourse act from her aunt who stays with her since she stays with her boyfriend,” he said.
For the State, prosecutor Nomthandazo Mafu stated that the accused had indeed confirmed that there was no bad blood between him and the victim’s parents, seeing that they had entrusted their child in his care, and the bad blood only occurred after the rape allegations.
The prosecutor argued that since the victim spent a night at the accused’s place, he had every opportunity to do so.
Circumstances are that on 9 November 2024, at around 2pm the complainant’s aunt went to visit her parents and left the complainant in the custody of the accused person.
At around 8pm while the complainant was asleep in the same room with the accused person, he started caressing her buttocks and allegedly raped her once.
After the act, the accused person is said to have ordered the complainant to wear her clothes, sleep, and threatened to kill her if she disclosed the matter to anyone.
The court also heard that the following day, the aunt came to collect the complainant and noticed that she was very quiet.
Upon interviewing her, she revealed that the accused person raped her once. The matter was reported to the police, leading to the arrest of the accused person.
Online Reporter