adminSenior Reporter
TWO Nyanga brothers were last Friday jailed 15 years each after they were found guilty of taking turns to rape a mentally-ill teenager.
Brian Chizimati (21) and his younger brother, Godknows (19), of Tandiri Village had pleaded not guilty when they appeared before Rusape regional magistrate, Mr Livingstone Chipadza.
Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira appeared for the State.
Allegations were that on February 9, the complainant visited the accused persons’ homestead at around 4pm after she had been invited by Brian.
During that time her step-mother was not around as she was attending a funeral elsewhere.
“Brian persuaded the complainant not to return home and sleep at their homestead. The complainant slept with the other children in a room in which Godknows was also sleeping in.
“However, Brian who was sleeping in his own room woke up at night and went to the room where the complainant was sleeping. He called her into his room and was intimate with the mental patient several times. After the act, he took the complainant back to where she was sleeping with other children,” said Mr Mutyasira.
As soon as he left the teenager, his younger brother jumped on the girl and was intimate with her.
“However, Naomi, a sister to the accused persons who was sleeping in the same room woke up and saw Godknows raping the complainant. She questioned him, but was told to mind her own business. The following day the complainant went back home, but she did not reveal the rape to anyone,” said Mr Mutyasira.
The crimes surfaced on February 11 when the complainant’s step-mother asked her why she was frequenting the accused persons’ homestead.
She replied that she wanted to get a loaf of bread and some Zapnax she was promised by the two brothers after they slept with her.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police leading to the arrest of the brothers.
The complainant was taken to hospital where it was confirmed that she was abused. She was further referred to Harare where a psychiatrist concluded that she was a mental patient who cannot consent to be intimate.
Of the 15 years, Mr Chipadza set aside five years on condition of good behaviour.
Online Reporter