News / Local
Gang rape victim breaks down in court
15 Feb 2016 at 05:38hrs | Views
A BULAWAYO woman broke down in court as she narrated how three men gang raped her at knife point, forcing a magistrate to postpone the case.
Two of the men, who allegedly cut off her clothes with a knife before taking turns to rape her, appeared in court facing rape and robbery charges.
The woman sustained serious injuries after one of the suspects, who is on the run, allegedly savagely kicked her on her private parts after she said she was on HIV medication.
Prosecuting, Robin Mukura called the woman as the second State witness after the first witness, a taxi driver, told the court that Dumile Dungeni, 32 and Mlungisi Khumalo, 34, robbed him and the woman of property and gang raped the woman before driving off in his vehicle.
Taking to the stand, the woman wept uncontrollably as she told the court how the trio robbed and raped her. "I know the two men as our attackers who pounced on me and my friend while we were driving in Cowdray Park. After tying us up with ropes, they drove to a certain spot where one of them dragged me out of the car and used a knife to undress me," she said and immediately began sobbing.
Senior regional magistrate Tranos Utahwashe adjourned proceedings and the woman was taken for counselling.
The session failed to produce results.
The woman wept continually and failed to continue with her testimony, forcing Utahwashe to remand the matter to tomorrow.
Dungeni and Khumalo allegedly robbed the taxi driver before taking turns to rape the woman several times.
The third alleged robber did not rape the woman after she claimed that she was on HIV medication. He, however, allegedly kicked her privates and she sustained serious injuries.
"It was last year on August 1 when the woman called her friend who is a registered taxi operator and asked him to take her home at around 8PM. She had some goods and they went home before proceeding to her brother's place, also in Cowdray Park," said Mukura.
"On their way back, someone smashed the windscreen from outside with an unknown object. As they tried to figure out what was happening, three men emerged from the darkness and opened the car doors."
He said the trio slapped and threatened to hit them with machetes, knives and iron bars.
"One of the men jumped onto the driver's seat and drove while they sat at the back in-between the two men who continued to assault them, forcing them to look down," Mukura said.
After a while, the men allegedly stopped the car and one of them dragged the woman out of the vehicle and used a knife to cut her leggings and panties. He raped the woman once and force marched her back into the car, the court heard.
"He would stop after a few kilometres, rape her and drag her back into the car. He did this three times," Mukura said.
The court heard that the other suspect also raped the woman.
"The third man failed to rape her as she begged him saying she was on ARVs. He, however, kicked her privates until they were sore," Mukura said.
"They drove along a dusty road in a bushy area connecting Bulawayo and Nyamandlovu and dropped the pair before driving off."
Two of the men, who allegedly cut off her clothes with a knife before taking turns to rape her, appeared in court facing rape and robbery charges.
The woman sustained serious injuries after one of the suspects, who is on the run, allegedly savagely kicked her on her private parts after she said she was on HIV medication.
Prosecuting, Robin Mukura called the woman as the second State witness after the first witness, a taxi driver, told the court that Dumile Dungeni, 32 and Mlungisi Khumalo, 34, robbed him and the woman of property and gang raped the woman before driving off in his vehicle.
Taking to the stand, the woman wept uncontrollably as she told the court how the trio robbed and raped her. "I know the two men as our attackers who pounced on me and my friend while we were driving in Cowdray Park. After tying us up with ropes, they drove to a certain spot where one of them dragged me out of the car and used a knife to undress me," she said and immediately began sobbing.
Senior regional magistrate Tranos Utahwashe adjourned proceedings and the woman was taken for counselling.
The session failed to produce results.
The woman wept continually and failed to continue with her testimony, forcing Utahwashe to remand the matter to tomorrow.
Dungeni and Khumalo allegedly robbed the taxi driver before taking turns to rape the woman several times.
"It was last year on August 1 when the woman called her friend who is a registered taxi operator and asked him to take her home at around 8PM. She had some goods and they went home before proceeding to her brother's place, also in Cowdray Park," said Mukura.
"On their way back, someone smashed the windscreen from outside with an unknown object. As they tried to figure out what was happening, three men emerged from the darkness and opened the car doors."
He said the trio slapped and threatened to hit them with machetes, knives and iron bars.
"One of the men jumped onto the driver's seat and drove while they sat at the back in-between the two men who continued to assault them, forcing them to look down," Mukura said.
After a while, the men allegedly stopped the car and one of them dragged the woman out of the vehicle and used a knife to cut her leggings and panties. He raped the woman once and force marched her back into the car, the court heard.
"He would stop after a few kilometres, rape her and drag her back into the car. He did this three times," Mukura said.
The court heard that the other suspect also raped the woman.
"The third man failed to rape her as she begged him saying she was on ARVs. He, however, kicked her privates until they were sore," Mukura said.
"They drove along a dusty road in a bushy area connecting Bulawayo and Nyamandlovu and dropped the pair before driving off."
Source - chronicle
