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Jeremiah Mudonha Herald Correspondent
In a shocking and deeply disturbing incident, a male worker at the Shalom Children’s Home in Marlborough, Harare, is facing charges of sexually abusing two children under his care on numerous occasions since 2022.
The Acting Harare Provincial Police Spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Faith Mapisa, has confirmed that the worker, Lloyd Josamu (31), was arrested and is currently on remand pending trial at the Harare Magistrates Court.
According to Assistant Inspector Mapisa, the incidents reportedly began one evening in 2022, on an undisclosed date when the man called the principal victim, now aged 16, to bring him drinking water to his room and he indecently assaulted the victim.
He used threats, such as the possibility of removing the child from the children’s home, to ensure the victim’s silence.
Further incidents occurred in January 2023, when the man once again summoned the victim into his room and raped her.
Assistant Inspector Faith Mapisa said the matter came to light when another victim, a former foster child of the Shalom Children’s Home shared her own experiences of indecent assault by the same accused in a WhatsApp group for girls.
The victim also confided in her fellow children at the home about the rape.
Upon receiving this information, the coordinator of Shalom Children’s Home, Mrs. Barbra Pfupajena, immediately notified the police, leading to assistance being given to the victims and the subsequent arrest of the accused person.
“We are doing further investigations to establish if there are more abuses that could have happened to the other children. We encourage all victims of sexual abuse anywhere to speak up and break the silence. Without reporting, rapists remain at large, and cycles of abuse can continue unabated,” she said.
This case highlights the urgent need for stringent safeguarding measures within children’s homes.
Online Reporter