adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
“THE problem is your manhood.”
These were the words of the great grandmother, 87, of a juvenile rape victim as she lashed at the suspect, 40, during cross examination at a Hwange Court.
“I am not the problem here,” she charged. “The problem is your manhood, which caused you to rape the child. I am angry with you and if you fire at me I will return the fire.”
The court heard that the alleged rapist, who comes from Chezhou area, was the girl’s stepfather. The man appeared before Hwange regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga charged with one count of rape.
He pleaded not guilty to the crime and alleged that his wife’s family laid the charges in order to fix him.
“The complainant’s grandfather was not amused when I married his daughter since I once stole his goats and this is his way of fixing me,” said the suspect in defence.
Prosecutors say the girl, who is doing Grade Seven at a local school, opened up about the alleged rape to the police after her maternal relatives reported the matter to the police when she complained that her stepfather had assaulted her for refusing to share a bed with him.
Prosecuting, Bheki Tshabalala said on March 14 this year, the man took advantage of his wife’s absence and forced the little girl onto his bed where he raped her once after threatening to stab her. He allegedly gave her $2 to silence her.
Tshabalala said the girl went to school on the following morning and on her way back passed through her great grandmother’s place where she disclosed that her stepfather had assaulted her for refusing to join him in bed.
The matter was reported to the police leading to the man’s arrest.
The case continues on May 21, the State will summon the girl’s grandfather and the investigating officer.
Online Reporter