A 54-YEAR-OLD man from Mahatshula suburb in Bulawayo has
appeared in court for sexually abusing his 12 -year-old step daughter.
The man, whose name has been withheld to protect the
identity of the minor, allegedly touched the minor’s private parts and later
raped her.
He pleaded not guilty to aggravated indecent assault, rape
and attempted rape charges when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Mr
Trynos Hutahwashe. The magistrate remanded him out of custody on bail to
September 10.
In his defence, the man alleged that the allegations
against him were fabricated by his stepchildren as at one time he had asked
them to vacate his house.
“I did not sexually abuse the complainant. These are
allegations meant to fix and embarrass me. If l committed the crimes why then
was her mother’s statement not recorded?” asked the man.
Prosecuting, Mr Jethro Mada said sometime in 2017 during
the school holidays, the minor was at home with her stepfather and he called
her into his bedroom.
The man allegedly ordered the girl to lie down on the bed
and remove her clothes.
She complied and the man allegedly inserted his finger into
the minor’s private parts.
The accused person then ordered her to leave his bedroom
when she started crying.
The minor did not tell anyone about her ordeal.
“ On an unknown date in November last year during the
night, the accused person alleged that he was not feeling well and was unable
to walk into his bedroom and decided to sleep on a couch in the dining room.
During the night, the man allegedly walked into the girl’s bedroom while she
was asleep and raped her,” said Mr Mada.
The minor screamed and her mother woke up. She told her
that the accused person had raped her and the mother promised to report the
matter to the police but she failed to as she left for South Africa a few weeks
later.”
He said the minor and her two siblings were then left in
the company of the accused person.
Mr Mada said sometime in March this year while the minor
was asleep with her siblings, the man tried to rape her but he failed to do so
as one of the siblings woke up and asked him what he was doing. The man then
left the room and went back to his bedroom.
The minor and her sibling whose age was not given then
reported the matter to the police. Chronicle
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