adminMashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A PLUMTREE man allegedly smeared petroleum jelly on three children’s private parts, among them his 11-month-old baby, before raping them on several occasions. The alleged abuse which started in 2013 went undetected until the man’s arrest in May this year following a tip off. The man, whom we cannot name to protect his minor victims, but is 23 and of George Silundika in the border town appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira on Friday facing three counts of rape.
He allegedly raped his own baby, stepdaughter, 7, and niece, 10, on different occasions. The suspect is however, denying the charges arguing that the allegations were stage managed by his wife with whom he has a longstanding domestic feud.
His wife and her sister allegedly concealed the abuse for two years. The alleged assailant’s wife, in her testimony, said her sister told her of the alleged sexual abuse, but they both agreed to keep it under wraps fearing that it would strain their relations with their in-laws.
One of the abused girls is her sister’s daughter.
“My sister came to me and told me that my husband was sexually abusing our children. When I confronted him he denied that and even threatened to assault my sister. We took the children to the doctor and a medical report proved that the children were raped,” she said.
They however, said they could not immediately make a police report fearing that it could strain relations with their in-laws.
“We kept it a secret because we didn’t want to create enmity between our family and our in-laws. I suspect my husband sexually abused the victims because we were no longer sleeping together because of our domestic problems,” she said.
Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said between 2013 and May 2015, the suspect would in the absence of his wife invite the victims to his bedroom and rape them.
He would then threaten to assault them if they told anyone about the abuse.
The court heard that he called his stepdaughter while she was playing with her cousin, his wife’s sister’s daughter.
He took the girls to his bedroom where he ordered them to remove their clothes before wearing a condom. He then smeared Vaseline petroleum jelly on their genitals before raping them in turns, said Dzipe.
On May 12 this year, the man was left in the custody of his 11 month-old daughter while his wife went to fetch firewood in the bush.
He allegedly raped the baby before he fled leaving the victim screaming.
Their neighbour, Buhlebenkosi Ncube took the baby to her home and she could not sit on her own following the abuse.
The court heard that the suspect’s wife returned home shortly after 2PM and found her daughter at their neighbour’s home.
“Ncube told the victim’s mother to take the baby to hospital since she was struggling to sit on her own,” said Dzipe.
The victim was taken to Plumtree Hospital and a medical examination showed that she had been raped.
Detectives arrested the man. The trial continues today.
Bongani Ndlovu