News / Local
'Rapist' hangs self
08 May 2014 at 05:45hrs | Views
A 61-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo's Nkulumane suburb hanged himself after discovering that police were investigating claims that he had raped and impregnated his niece.
Patrick Phiri, who is alleged to have impregnated his under-age niece, was found hanging at his home yesterday morning.
He took away the baby conceived as a result of the rape, at birth in 2012 and the child's whereabouts remain unknown.
Recently his niece, who is now 15, started enquiring about her child and this exposed the rape.
Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the matter saying police were investigating a suicide case but could not give more details.
Chronicle yesterday caught up with Phiri's family members but they declined to comment saying they were yet to meet over his death. However, a source told Chronicle that Phiri was being investigated by police for abusing his niece.
"He was being investigated for raping and impregnating his niece whom he had been abusing since she was 11-years-old," the source said.
Phiri is said to have raped the girl between 2009 and 2012.
"He impregnated his niece who gave birth to a premature baby at Mpilo Central Hospital in 2012. Phiri went to the hospital and offered to take care of the child and from then the baby was separated from her mother," the source revealed.
"Police started investigating him. Yesterday (Tuesday) his cousin told him that police were looking for him and he said he was going to see them today. He was then found dead," said the source.
Patrick Phiri, who is alleged to have impregnated his under-age niece, was found hanging at his home yesterday morning.
He took away the baby conceived as a result of the rape, at birth in 2012 and the child's whereabouts remain unknown.
Recently his niece, who is now 15, started enquiring about her child and this exposed the rape.
Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the matter saying police were investigating a suicide case but could not give more details.
Chronicle yesterday caught up with Phiri's family members but they declined to comment saying they were yet to meet over his death. However, a source told Chronicle that Phiri was being investigated by police for abusing his niece.
"He was being investigated for raping and impregnating his niece whom he had been abusing since she was 11-years-old," the source said.
Phiri is said to have raped the girl between 2009 and 2012.
"He impregnated his niece who gave birth to a premature baby at Mpilo Central Hospital in 2012. Phiri went to the hospital and offered to take care of the child and from then the baby was separated from her mother," the source revealed.
"Police started investigating him. Yesterday (Tuesday) his cousin told him that police were looking for him and he said he was going to see them today. He was then found dead," said the source.
Source - chronicle
