Girl defends 'rapist' in court

A 14-year-old Plumtree girl yesterday embarrassed her grandmother after she told a court that her family framed the herd boy who was accused of raping her.

The girl was reportedly raped by Busani Ndebele.

Giving her testimony before magistrate Mark Dzira, she stunned her grandmother by saying she was told to say Ndebele raped her when they had never had sex.

"I know Ndebele as an uncle who works for us at home. I did not have sex with him. I did go to the police station and to the hospital because I was told that I was raped," she said, without specifying who had ordered her to lie.

Ndebele however admitted bedding the girl saying she seduced him and asked him to have sex with her.

"This girl is my girlfriend and I work for her family. She came to my room and asked me to come closer to her. I refused and she kept pestering me until I gave in," said Ndebele.

"We ended up having sex with her consent. I did not rape her."

The state led by Tinashe Dzipe had to drop rape charges laid on Ndebele as the girl stuck to her story insisting she was never raped.

Dzira discharged Ndebele.

Dzipe had alleged that on an unknown date but during a period ranging between March and April 2014, Ndebele found the girl who is doing Grade Six with her sister in his hut packing clothes.

Ndebele ordered the young sister to leave the hut and he remained with the girl. He dragged the girl to a nearby sofa and forced her to lie on it.

He then pulled up the girl's skirt to waist level before removing her pant and raping her once.

The girl told her grandmother who is the village head leading to Ndebele's arrest.