Two cousins rape accused in court

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
A 27-YEAR-OLD Gwanda man has been arrested for allegedly raping his two cousins aged nine and 11 years old.

The man from Nsimbi Village who cannot be named to protect his victims was not asked to plead when he appeared before Gwanda magistrate, Miss Lerato Nyathi facing two counts of rape.

He was remanded in custody to September 21.

Prosecuting, Miss Ethel Mahachi said the accused person raped the two complainants last year while he was staying at their home and the matter came to light in March after one of them revealed the matter to her teacher after a lesson on sexual abuse.

“On a date unknown to the prosecutor but in November 2019 the complainant who is aged 11-years-old was fetching some firewood while alone in a bush which is close to her home. The accused person approached her and requested to have sexual intercourse with her but she refused. The accused person grabbed her by the hand and pushed her to the ground and raped her.

“After he was done the accused person ordered the complainant to collect her firewood and proceed home and he warned her against revealing the matter to her parents,” she said.

Miss Mahachi said during the same month the accused person found the second complainant aged nine years playing in a field with her friends. She said the accused person chased the other children away while holding a whip and remained behind with the complainant.

Miss Mahachi said the accused person dragged the complainant into a bush where he raped her and then warned her against revealing the matter. She said the accused person further gave the complainant some sweets to buy her silence. Miss Mahachi said the complainant narrated the matter to her sister who is the first complainant.

“The matter came to light on 4 March when the first complainant was in class and their teacher delivered a lesson on sexual abuse.

“The complainant revealed to her teacher what the accused person had done to her and further revealed that he had done the same to her younger sister. The matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused person,” she said.-@DubeMatutu