Girl (7) recounts rape episode

A SOMBRE atmosphere engulfed the Rusape Magistrates' Courts last week after a seven-year-old rape victim kept on demanding sweets and eggs while giving evidence against her uncle who promised her the goodies soon after forcing himself on the Grade One pupil.

Court officials and relatives of the victim were left with tears on their cheeks when the victim labelled her uncle, Ishmael Muchangani (19) a liar for failing to fulfil his promise.

She demanded to be given her sweets in court. It was the State's case led by public prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira that the accused person raped the girl last year in April.

"The complainant and the accused reside at Dheka Village under Chief Nyashanu, Dorowa. Sometime in April 2014, the suspect called the girl into his bedroom. He ordered her to lie on the bed and he subsequently raped her once. After committing the offence he tried to buy the girl's silence by promising to buy her some sweets and eggs," said Mr Mutyasira.

The promised goodies did not come as promised leading to the girl to report the matter to her grandmother who is mentally challenged. Upon hearing the case the grandmother threatened the girl not to tell anyone saying she would kill her if she spilled the beans.

However, the crime was exposed after the victim's mother came to the rural areas from work. The girl told her what happened and a police report was made leading to the arrest of the suspect.

"She was taken to hospital for medical examination where it was revealed that she was sexually abused," said Mr Mutyasira.

Muchangani pleaded not guilty before Mr Livingstone Chipadza saying the case was cooked up. He said he was not on talking terms with the victim's mother whom he quarrels with each time she brings boyfriends to the homestead. He said the rape case was thus meant to fix him. However, Muchangani was convicted after the victim gave overwhelming evidence in a close television circuit. She gave a detailed account of how she was lured and subsequently raped.

Those who witnessed her confession were grieved when she constantly referred to her uncle as a liar as he had failed to give him the promised sweets and eggs.

She demanded before the court to be given the goodies by the accused who was left with an egg on the face.

Mr Chipadza found him guilty as charged and slapped him with a 15-year jail term. However, three years of the sentence were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.

In an unrelated case a 55-year-old HIV positive Buhera man, Brighton Mugarasadza, was jailed for 15 years after he was found guilty of raping a 13-year-old Grade 7 pupil from St Bernard Primary School in Dorowa.

Mr Mutyasira told the court that the accused waylaid the victim while she was coming from school on July 22 this year.

"He followed the girl and met her at a bushy area. He started fondling the girl's private parts. She screamed but he gagged her, dragged her out of the footpath and forced himself on her. After committing the crime he threatened to kill her if she tells anyone. On July 23 the girl reported the matter to her class teacher who subsequently made a police report. A medical examination done on the complainant revealed that she was raped," said Mr Mutyasira.

Mr Chipadza slapped Mugarasadza with a 15-year-jail term.