An eight-year-old girl from Nyanga was subjected to repeated sexual abuse by four perpetrators, including three male adults and a teenager, on multiple occasions while walking home from school.
The first
perpetrator used a pornographic video clip to lure the girl into bed, and
subsequently, the abusers coerced her into submitting to their sexual demands
by threatening to expose her alleged sexual affair with the first perpetrator.
The accused
individuals, including Justice Nyakuchena (29), were arraigned before Mrs
Phethukile Msipa at the Mutare Regional Court, which was sitting on circuit in
Nyanga.
Prosecutor, Mr
Last Goredema presented the case, highlighting the severity of the crimes
committed against the young girl.
The complainant
is a juvenile aged eight, and doing Grade Three at a Nyanga school.
The accused
person and the complainant are not related.
The court heard
that sometime in April 2024, the accused person approached the complainant, who
was in the garden, and asked her to get intimate with him.
She refused.
The accused
told the complainant that he was going to reveal to his father that she had
slept with Webster Bhurangeti sometime back.
Mr Goredema
said Nyakuchena forcibly grabbed the complainant’s hand, dragged her out of the
garden to a secluded bush, and raped her once.
From that day,
Nyakuchena continued to rape the complainant several times on different unknown
occasions while on her way from school.
The matter came
to light on November 3, 2024 around 5pm when the complainant’s father observed
that she was always returning late from school.
He interrogated
his juvenile daughter, and she revealed that the accused person raped her on
several occasions on different days.
The court also
heard that the minor also revealed that Bhurangeti, Nyakuchena, Wilfred
Bhurangeti and a 16-year-old teenager had also raped her on different
occasions.
The matter was
reported to the police in Nyamaropa, who attended the scene, and arrested
Nyakuchena.
The victim was
taken to Nyanga District Hospital, where she was medically examined, and the
medical report was produced in court as an exhibit.
Mrs Msipa
sentenced Nyakuchena to 17 years in jail for the offence. Webster Bhurangeti
(19) also appeared before Mrs Msipa facing similar rape charges.
The court heard that sometime in the month of
April 2024, Bhurangeti approached the minor, who was in the garden and started
playing pornographic videos, which were in his cellphone to the complainant.
Bhurangeti
asked the complainant if she was able to act in the same way, but she told him
that she was still too young to indulge in such practices.
Mr Goredema
said Bhurangeti forcibly grabbed the minor’s hand, went with her to a secluded
nearby bush out of the garden, and raped her once.
From that day,
Bhurangeti would rape the complainant on several occasions on her way from
school.
Mrs Msipa
sentenced the two brothers, Wilfred and Webster Bhurangeti to 20 years in jail
each for the offences.
She suspended
five years on the usual conditions.
The teenager
rapist was sentenced to five years in jail, which was wholly suspended. Manica Post
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