adminElizabeth Tsuro Midlands Reporter
A 37-year-old villager from Chirumhanzu allegedly raped his girlfriend’s 11-year-old daughter several times in one night after finding her mother away from home.
James Chiwara Chari of Mbedzi Village, under headman Chigegwe in Chirumhanzu appeared for initial remand yesterday before Gweru Magistrate Mildred Matuvi facing a count of rape. He was remanded in custody to January 11 next year for trial.
Chari pleaded not guilty.
Prosecuting Edward Gwainda told the court that on a date unknown to him but in November this year at around 9PM, Chari went to visit his girlfriend, who is the complainant’s mother.
Gwainda said when he got to his girlfriend’s homestead, he only found her 11-year-old daughter.
The court heard that Chari was told that his girlfriend had gone to attend a funeral in another village.
“Chari then followed the complainant to her bedroom hut,” said Gwainda.
“He then unlawfully had sexual intercourse with her several times that same night without her consent.
“Chari further threatened the victim with an okapi knife and told her that if she reported the matter to anyone, he was going to kill her together with her mother.”
The court heard that the matter only came to light when the complainant narrated her ordeal to her aunt.
The complainant’s aunt, the court heard, went and reported the matter to the police leading to Chari’s arrest.
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