An eight-year-old girl from Macheke has exposed a case of shocking child sexual abuse after detailing in court how a neighbour and three close family members, who include her father and brother, took turns to rape her with her mother ignoring her pleas for help.
The girl revealed this under cross examination when her
parents appeared at the Marondera Magistrates Court this week where they were
facing charges of sexually abusing their two children, the girl and a boy aged
11.
It also emerged in court that the boy was also abused by
his mother and what’s more, he in turn also raped the hapless eight-year-old
girl, his biological sister!
The two minor children revealed the abuse to their aunt
after they were caught engaging in a sexual act by the aunt, the mother’s elder
sister whom they had visited in Mutoko.
The boy was first to be cross examined and he told the
court that his mother sexually abused him four times.
“My mother called me into her bedroom where she was
sleeping and told me to remove my clothes. She forced herself on me.
“When that was happening, she was covering my face with a
T-shirt. All this happened when there was no one at home,” he said.
Asked how the matter came to light, the boy said it was
after they had gone to Mutoko to visit their aunt, their mother’s elder sister,
who caught them performing sexual acts.
The aunt then observed that the girl was walking with
difficulties.
“My aunt asked why my sister was limping and she told her
that our father had raped her. My uncle (the aunt’s husband) later asked me
about it and that is when I revealed that I was also sexually abused by my
mother in Macheke.”
As the trial proceeded, the eight-year-old girl went on to
reveal that besides her father, three more people raped her.
“Yes, my father raped me four times in his bedroom. When he
first raped me, I felt some pain and I bled,” she said.
“I told my mother and she said to me ‘I do not want to hear
that nonsense.’ I was also raped by Malvin (a neighbour and age not given).
Malvin raped me once and I told my mother who assaulted me.
“The following day, my mother sent us to Mutoko to her
elder sister. In Mutoko, I was raped by Tanaka. He raped me three times. Tanaka
is the son to my aunt. When I told my aunt about it, she said, “I do not want
to hear about that.”
The court proceedings had to take a break after the girl
emotionally broke down and wept uncontrollably.
When the court proceedings resumed, the girl, who had
regained her composure, revealed that even her 11-year-old brother had also
raped her.
Asked why she had not revealed that Tanaka and others had
also raped her, and if her aunt had influenced her not to reveal that her son
had raped her, the girl said the aunt had indeed influenced her not to reveal
Tanaka’s alleged shenanigans.
She also maintained that her biological father had raped
her.
The couple pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse charges when
they appeared before Marondera Magistrate Mr Ignatious Mhene.
The father (aged 41) is facing rape charges while the
mother is facing aggravated indecent assault charges.
Their lawyer Mr Chido Kavhumbura, said the charges were
fabricated and accused the aunt of influencing the children to incriminate
their parents.
Mr Kavhambura said the aunt was trying to conceal the
sexual abuse which could have happened when the girl was staying with her in
Mutoko. Herald
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