News / Local
False rape report leads to stepmother's arrest
10 Feb 2012 at 01:04hrs | Views
A woman who influenced her 10-year-old stepdaughter to make false rape report against her uncle was arrested at the Harare Magistrates Court yesterday. Vimbai Nyakudya was arrested after the child in question exposed her plot and the accused Masco Mashonganyika was acquitted after spending four months in remand prison.
Mashonganyika shed tears as the girl who is his niece narrated to the court how her stepmother had pestered her to incriminate him.
After the child exposed Nyakudya, prosecutor Mrs Kudzai Chigwedere submitted that the State had no prima-facie case against Mashonganyika.
"Accused was arraigned in court on a charge of rape, however, so far evidence on record shows that the complainant made it clear that she was told to lie against the accused person.
"The court should order the arrest of the person who influenced the child as such people are abusing the justice system to settle personal scores,'' she said.
Presiding magistrate, Mr Hosea Mujaya, concurred with the State and blamed such people for inconveniencing the victims of such false reports.
"It wastes the time of the police, it wastes the time of the State and court. Resources are also wasted," he said.
He said police should investigate the allegations against Nyakudya and a traditional healer called Tom.
He said Tom was supposed to know the person who raped the girl after she told the court that her stepmother took her to a traditional healer who gave her snuff and she became unconscious.
The girl says when she woke up she realised she had been raped.
Mr Mujaya acquitted Mashonganyika and police picked Nyakudya after the court session.
Mashonganyika was represented by Chara and Associates.
It was the State's case that sometime in July last year Mashonganyika went to the girl's residence around 2pm.
It is alleged that upon realising that the girl was alone he invited her into the kitchen hut where he threatened to kill her if she screamed.
He allegedly raped her.
The girl was alleged to have told Nyakudya after she quizzed her.
Mashonganyika shed tears as the girl who is his niece narrated to the court how her stepmother had pestered her to incriminate him.
After the child exposed Nyakudya, prosecutor Mrs Kudzai Chigwedere submitted that the State had no prima-facie case against Mashonganyika.
"Accused was arraigned in court on a charge of rape, however, so far evidence on record shows that the complainant made it clear that she was told to lie against the accused person.
"The court should order the arrest of the person who influenced the child as such people are abusing the justice system to settle personal scores,'' she said.
Presiding magistrate, Mr Hosea Mujaya, concurred with the State and blamed such people for inconveniencing the victims of such false reports.
"It wastes the time of the police, it wastes the time of the State and court. Resources are also wasted," he said.
He said police should investigate the allegations against Nyakudya and a traditional healer called Tom.
The girl says when she woke up she realised she had been raped.
Mr Mujaya acquitted Mashonganyika and police picked Nyakudya after the court session.
Mashonganyika was represented by Chara and Associates.
It was the State's case that sometime in July last year Mashonganyika went to the girl's residence around 2pm.
It is alleged that upon realising that the girl was alone he invited her into the kitchen hut where he threatened to kill her if she screamed.
He allegedly raped her.
The girl was alleged to have told Nyakudya after she quizzed her.
Source - TH
