Rape victim 'deeply in love' with attacker

A MARRIED Masvingo rape victim stunned a court when she confessed that she was "deeply in love" with her attacker and expressed regret for having him arrested.

Fortunate Kashiri (28) of Mavhorondiya Village under Chief Zimuto, who seemed not to be sure of what she had reported to the police and showed a high level of inconsistency in her statement to the court, stirred drama when she confessed that she was madly in love with Desmond Maronga (34), her alleged assailant.

Appearing before Chiredzi senior regional magistrate Mrs Judith Zuyu last Wednesday, Maronga of the same village pleaded not guilty to rape, assault and theft from Kashiri, his married girlfriend.

Mrs Zuyu remanded Maronga out of custody to next Monday for continuation of trial.

Kashiri, who was jittery during trial, confessed to the court that she was madly in love with the accused, in the presence of her lawful husband.

It also emerged during cross examination that despite having reported Maronga to the police, Kashiri was frequently visiting the man during his brief stay in remand prison and would bring him "nice food."

Firstly she lied that she was not in love with Maronga and then changed her statement under intense cross examination by Mr Charles Ndlovu, Maronga's lawyer.

Kashiri said she was not sure how long she had been in love with Maronga.

The lawyer exposed her further when he showed the court WhatsApp chats that included steamy photos, between her and Maronga from 2013 to last year when the rape allegations were made.

"I was never in love with the accused; sorry we were once in love sometime in 2017. I regret having reported him to the police," said Kashiri, a mother of two.

When pressed to narrate everything on what had happened, she told the court of the assault and theft but left out the alleged rape which had resulted in her lover languishing in remand prison for a month.

Maronga was initially denied bail due to the nature of the crime but it was later granted after the High Court took into account that the two were lovers.
Prosecutor Ms Mukai Mutumhe said the alleged rape occurred in December 2017.

"The accused proposed love to Kashiri who turned him down saying that she was married," said Ms Mutumhe.

The court heard that complaint turned her back but the accused allegedly slapped her once on the face for turning his proposal down.

"Kashiri fell to the ground and when she got up she ran away. However, Maronga followed and caught up with her.

"He grabbed her by the seam of her panties and tore them up together with her skirt," said Ms Mutumhe.

She said Maronga picked up a huge bone and allegedly hit her on the ribs several times and punched her on the face until she fainted.

After she fell unconscious, Ms Mutumhe said, Maronga raped her.

Kashiri discovered that she had been raped when she came to three hours later and saw semen on her genitals, the court heard.

It is alleged that the accused person also took the complainant's Nokia 1208 cellphone.

Kashiri was assisted by a villager, who gave her clothes.

A report was made at Masvingo Rural Police in December 2017, leading to Maronga's arrest.

Total value stolen is $28 and nothing was recovered.