Villagers hunt sex pervert who attacked three grade three pupils

A child sex-predator is on the loose in the Madlambuzi area of Matabeleland South where he reportedly abducted and indecently assaulted three pupils last week.

Panicking villagers have formed groups to hunt down the suspect and have also resorted to escorting their children to school following the attack on Monday.

The villagers said the victims are all girls doing Grade Three at Tsukuru Primary School.

They said the children were traumatised by the ordeal and were refusing to go to school.

The villagers said the same suspect chased two grade five pupils on Friday but failed to catch them.

"Three children were coming from school on Monday afternoon when a stranger caught them and force marched them to a bushy area near Phaneni Village. The children said he ordered them to strip and threatened to assault them with a big stick if they did not comply," said Edson Ndlovu.

He said the man ordered the children to lie facing upwards.

The man allegedly touched the children's private parts and exposed his nakedness to them.

"A group of villagers who were passing near the bush scared the man away. The villagers saw the naked children and took them to Madlambuzi Police Station. The Children were taken to Plumtree General Hospital and medical examination determined they had not been raped," said another villager.

"On Friday, two Grade Five pupils escaped from the man when he tried to catch them near the same bushes. We are now escorting our children to and from school because the suspect is still at large.
 
If we catch him, we want to make an example of him to deter other like-minded people," said the villager.

A nurse at Plumtree Hospital confirmed that the three children were treated and discharged last week.

A comment could not be obtained from the police in Matabeleland South.