adminAuxilia Katongomara Court Reporter
THE Department of Social Welfare has taken custody of a nine-year-old Insuza girl who was raped by three different men in a year.
The move comes after a Bulawayo magistrate ordered the police to rescue the girl by removing her from the village as she lacked proper care from her guardian.
In sentencing the third culprit, Simiso Tshabalala, 18, last month, Bulawayo Regional magistrate Crispen James Mberewere said the girl and her siblings were left at the mercy of rapists by negligent parents.
“In assessing this case, the court found out that this girl has become a victim of men in her village and as such, I’m ordering the officer in charge of Insuza police to take the girl to a place of safety recommended by the Department of Social Welfare.
“They must also take other female children or siblings that stay under the same roof with the victim as they’re equally vulnerable to abuse,” said Mberewere.
Acting Matabeleland North Provincial Child Welfare Officer, Macnon Chirinzepi confirmed the development and said the girl was now in safe hands.
“We have managed to move the girl and her sibling to a place of safety at one of the children’s homes in Bulawayo which I cannot name for security reasons,” said Chirinzepi. He said they were in the process of securing documents from court to legalise the children’s stay at the home.
“We have also appointed a welfare officer to supervise and counsel the girl to remove trauma caused by the rape. The officer also has to ensure that the children are properly taken care of without victimisation and that their rights are met,” said Chirinzepi.
He added that the order would be reviewed in three years time to check the situation at their home so that they would be re-united with their family.
Magistrate Mberewere granted the order after it emerged during the trial of the third rapist that the grandmother was a drunk who followed beer parties leaving the minor children at the mercy of rapists.
Giving her testimony during the trial, the girls’ mother, who has two other children with another man whom she lives with in another village, said her mother was an abusive drunk who beat up children when she was under the influence of alcohol.
Last year, the juvenile was raped by her uncle and a neighbour, who were tried separately and sent to jail.
Online Reporter