Two-year-old ’star witness’ nails rapist

Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
A two-year-old boy left the court stunned after he gave a detailed account of how he watched his seven-year-old sister being raped by a 40-year-old man.The toddler, evidently clever for his age, left the gallery that was following the proceedings via a video link in stitches after he complained that the magistrate, Ms Sandra Mpindu, was making him weak by asking too many questions.

In his baby talk, the boy demanded sweets from the interpreter in exchange for his evidence. Giving his evidence in the Victim Friendly Court, the toddler asked for a high chair so he could see clearly.

The gallery was dumbfounded when he started narrating how he was walking to the field with his seven-year-old sister. This was the time Willard Chidamahiya called them.

“He took my sister into a pit and placed his private parts against hers before giving us R2 for snacks. When we went home, I told my father how we ended up with the coin,” he said.

Ms Mpindu slapped Chidamahiya with an 18-year jail term and suspended three years for five years on condition he does not commit a similar offence. He will serve an effective 15 years in prison.

In passing sentence, Ms Mpindu considered that Chidamahiya’s moral blameworthiness was high, as it was aggravated by the age difference.

Chidamahiya pleaded for the court’s lenience indicating that his relatives were causing misfortunes that saw him reach 40 years still a bachelor.

Prosecutor Ms Ressie Nyamombe told the court that on December 14 last year, the girl was in the company of her brother.
Chidamahiya called the two indicating that he would give them money to buy sweets.

Assuming that the girl’s brother was too young to recall the event, he lifted the girl into a nearby pit and raped her. He then gave each R1 to buy sweets before sending them home. Upon arrival, the boy told his father that he watched Chidamahiya doing silly things on his sister.