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Court Reporter
SOCIALITE Charles Guvamatanga, affectionately known as Torro in music circles, has distanced himself from allegations that he raped his niece.
Guvamatanga says he is actually a victim of abuse himself, claiming he was in fact drugged by the 18-year-old complainant who then took advantage of him and forced herself on him.
Guvamatanga’s trial commenced yesterday before Harare regional magistrate Mr Stanford Mambanje at the Harare Magistrates Court.
Arguing on his behalf, Harare lawyers Messrs Oliver Marwa and Dumisani Mthombeni asked why the niece did not scream for help as her sisters were also in the house, less than five metres away from the room she was sleeping in.
Through his lawyers, Guvamatanga also produced videos of the teenager drunk in a club, dancing on benches wearing tight fitting clothes contrary to her claims that she was wearing baggy clothes. In his defence, Guvamatanga argued that the rape claims were made by the child to cover her back after a drunk night out.
He claimed that they were made out of embarrassment after he denied her sexual advances.
“Accused will state that he suspects that complainant, who had shown some unusual interest in him earlier when they were clubbing, could have drugged him and subsequently raped him while he was asleep,” said the lawyers.
“He never raped complainant in the manner alleged or at all. In fact, he is the actual victim in this case because the complainant committed an act of aggravated indecent assault upon him while he was in an involuntarily induced sleep and inebriation.”
Guvamatanga also argued that the allegations were an attempt to soil his name.
“Accused will demonstrate that the complainant’s whole story is false and unbelievable,” said the lawyers. “For example, why would she not scream when she allegedly saw that accused was about to rape her or even during the alleged rape or soon after, since she knew her sisters were in the lounge just about six metres away.
“These are poorly choreographed rape allegations by someone desperate to save face and embarrassed.”
The trial continues today.
Online Reporter