News / National
Man (23) claims 7-year-old rape victim wrote him love letters
15 Dec 2011 at 05:08hrs | Views
A Harare shopkeeper, Munyaradzi Cherera (23) claims that a Grade Two pupil he raped wrote him love letters. Cherera has been jailed eight years effective for raping the seven year- old-girl while her two friends watched.
Cherera is a shopkeeper at Martin Millers and Marketing had pleaded not guilty to rape when his trial opened before regional magistrate Mr Rodgers Kachambwa but was convicted after a fully contested trial.
In assessing sentence Mr Kachambwa considered that Cherera was a youthful first offender.
"The age difference between accused and the complainant is alarming.
"Complainant is no longer herself she is suffering from stigma. She may be lucky to have not acquired an STI in the process.
"It is unreasonable to hear accused telling the court that she wrote letters to him but failed to reprimand her moreover she came to his shop," he said.
Mr Kachambwa said Cherera should have taken steps to tell her parents or the police.
The State proved that sometime in July last year the girl and her two friends were on their way home when Cherera called them to the shop.
He took the three to a room at the shop and locked the door.
While in the room he raped the girl.
When the girl's friends screamed he stuffed their mouths with a red a cloth.
After raping her he instructed them to go home using the shop's backdoor.
On July 12 the girl's friends told their teacher who advised her parents to interview her.
The girl narrated her ordeal and her parents got Cherera arrested.
Cherera is a shopkeeper at Martin Millers and Marketing had pleaded not guilty to rape when his trial opened before regional magistrate Mr Rodgers Kachambwa but was convicted after a fully contested trial.
In assessing sentence Mr Kachambwa considered that Cherera was a youthful first offender.
"The age difference between accused and the complainant is alarming.
"Complainant is no longer herself she is suffering from stigma. She may be lucky to have not acquired an STI in the process.
"It is unreasonable to hear accused telling the court that she wrote letters to him but failed to reprimand her moreover she came to his shop," he said.
Mr Kachambwa said Cherera should have taken steps to tell her parents or the police.
The State proved that sometime in July last year the girl and her two friends were on their way home when Cherera called them to the shop.
He took the three to a room at the shop and locked the door.
While in the room he raped the girl.
When the girl's friends screamed he stuffed their mouths with a red a cloth.
After raping her he instructed them to go home using the shop's backdoor.
On July 12 the girl's friends told their teacher who advised her parents to interview her.
The girl narrated her ordeal and her parents got Cherera arrested.
Source - TH
