News / National
Woman (20) cries rape at a wedding 15 years later
04 Dec 2011 at 22:18hrs | Views
A woman (20) wept uncontrollably at a wedding recently and told how her uncle raped her 15 years ago and last week justice was done when the uncle was finally jailed.
The woman, who was invited to the wedding, could not hold back her tears as she wept after realising she may never have a memorable wedding after the rape.
When she first broke into tears, relatives and friends had to calm her although they could not ascertain why she was crying.
She only revealed later that she was raped 15 years by her uncle 1995 and never revealed it to anyone.
This was after the mother had asked her to explain her conduct at the wedding.
This prompted his mother to file a report with the police on December 22 last year.
Her assailant, Jabulani Murape (33), was last week sentenced to three years in jail for the rape that took place over a decade ago.
Murape had denied the charge when he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Temba Kuwanda, but he was found guilty of the offence.
Mr Kuwanda slapped Murape with a six- year jail term, but set aside three years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
In passing sentence, Mr Kuwanda took into account that Murape committed the offence when he was 17 and it took the girl 15 years to open up.
"It will be very unfair to sentence him for a long period since by the time he committed the crime was still a juvenile.
"The court will still hold a case against you and will not loose sight of the following aggravating factors that the girl was aged between 7 and 9, while the man happens to be her maternal uncle who raped her", said Mr Kuwanda.
Prosecutor Ms Joice Fusire told the court that in 1995, the girl arrived from school and found no one at home.
She went to her uncle's place to play with other children.
Later the uncle called her into his bedroom and laid her on the bed before raping her.
He gagged her mouth using his hand and threatened to kill her during the act.
After the rape, the girl went back home and did not say anything because she was afraid of the threats.
When she finished her secondary school, she relocated to Harare to stay with her father but was still going through a lot of trauma.
On December 4, 2010, she was invited to attend a wedding of her mother's relative.
The following day, her mother asked her why she cried at the wedding and she revealed her ordeal at the hands of Murape.
The woman, who was invited to the wedding, could not hold back her tears as she wept after realising she may never have a memorable wedding after the rape.
When she first broke into tears, relatives and friends had to calm her although they could not ascertain why she was crying.
She only revealed later that she was raped 15 years by her uncle 1995 and never revealed it to anyone.
This was after the mother had asked her to explain her conduct at the wedding.
This prompted his mother to file a report with the police on December 22 last year.
Her assailant, Jabulani Murape (33), was last week sentenced to three years in jail for the rape that took place over a decade ago.
Murape had denied the charge when he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Temba Kuwanda, but he was found guilty of the offence.
Mr Kuwanda slapped Murape with a six- year jail term, but set aside three years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next five years.
In passing sentence, Mr Kuwanda took into account that Murape committed the offence when he was 17 and it took the girl 15 years to open up.
"It will be very unfair to sentence him for a long period since by the time he committed the crime was still a juvenile.
"The court will still hold a case against you and will not loose sight of the following aggravating factors that the girl was aged between 7 and 9, while the man happens to be her maternal uncle who raped her", said Mr Kuwanda.
Prosecutor Ms Joice Fusire told the court that in 1995, the girl arrived from school and found no one at home.
She went to her uncle's place to play with other children.
Later the uncle called her into his bedroom and laid her on the bed before raping her.
He gagged her mouth using his hand and threatened to kill her during the act.
After the rape, the girl went back home and did not say anything because she was afraid of the threats.
When she finished her secondary school, she relocated to Harare to stay with her father but was still going through a lot of trauma.
On December 4, 2010, she was invited to attend a wedding of her mother's relative.
The following day, her mother asked her why she cried at the wedding and she revealed her ordeal at the hands of Murape.
Source - TH
