adminThandeka Moyo Chronicle Reporter
A BULAWAYO man allegedly snatched a woman from her boyfriend at knife point, assaulted and dragged her to his house where he raped her twice on his matrimonial bed.
He allegedly kicked his sleeping wife out of bed and ordered her to vacate their bedroom so he could force himself on the woman.
Lazarus Jiri, 25, of Kingsdale suburb, allegedly spotted the woman drinking at a city bar in the company of her boyfriend at 11PM last Wednesday.
He allegedly followed the two and threatened the boyfriend with a knife before dragging the woman away.
Jiri allegedly grabbed the woman and force-marched her to his home.
He appeared before Bulawayo provincial Magistrate Sibongile Msipa on Saturday facing rape charges and was remanded in custody to today (December 12).
The suspected rapist was not asked to plead.
The State led by Dennmore Kasenza alleges that on Wednesday, the victim was in a bar with her boyfriend and Jiri spotted them. At 11PM they left for home in Kingsdale suburb and Jiri followed them.
Jiri then caught up with the lovebirds and threatened to stab the man before snatching the woman away. He then slapped the woman several times on her face as he dragged her along Marsh Street, leaving her boyfriend behind.
On their way, they passed through a river bed and Jiri drew a silver kitchen knife and put it on the woman’s neck threatening to stab her and she pleaded with him to let her go, the court heard.
The two then proceeded to Jiri’s home and upon arrival, he pushed the door open and ordered his wife to vacate the room.
Jiri then closed the door and ordered the woman to remove her clothes and hit her on the forehead with a brush.
After she refused to comply, Jiri tore off her panties and used an axe handle which was on the bedside to hit her on the shoulder. He then forced open her legs and raped her once. At 6AM Jiri allegedly raped the woman again and only released her at 8AM.
The woman made a police report and Jiri was arrested.
Cases of sexual abuse are on the increase in Zimbabwe despite efforts to end gender based violence.
About 70 percent of rape victims are children under 12 years.
Zimbabwe joined the rest of the world in observing 16 Days of Activism against Gender Violence which started on November 25 ending on December 10.
However, gender based violence is still a challenge as one in four women – according to the Zimbabwe Demographic Health Survey (DHS) – reported that they had experienced sexual violence and in 9 out of 10 of the cases the perpetrator is the woman’s current or former husband, partner or boyfriend; and 1 in 3 women aged 15 to 49 have experienced physical violence since the age of 15.
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