Man in trouble for raping friend's niece

A MAN from Nkankezi in Filabusi is in trouble after he raped his friend's niece (14) during the night when they were drunk and infected her with STI.

This was heard by a Filabusi Resident magistrate Mzingaye Moyo on Friday when the alleged rapist aged 32 who cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor appeared before him charged with rape.

He was not asked to plead to the charge and was remanded in custody to October 22 to appear before Gwanda Regional court magistrate for trial. He was advised to apply to the High Court for bail.

Prosecutor Smart Tafireyi told the court that sometime in April this year during the school holiday, the girl who stays with her mother at Mbondweni Villager visited her father in Nkankezi where they shared a bedroom hut which was divided by a curtain with their father and uncle. During the same month at night the girl's uncle came home drunk and later his friend arrived. He sneaked into the girl's blankets after noticing that her uncle was drunk and asleep. He allegedly raped her before moving on to sleep with her uncle as if nothing had happened.

The following day her father arrived and she told him what had been done by her uncle's friend but the father advised her not to tell anyone about it.

When the girl returned to her mother the rape incident was discovered on September 17 when she started complaining of having some sores on her private part. Her mother was told about the problem and when she asked the girl she revealed that her uncle's friend had raped her. The girl was taken to Sanali Clinic where it was discovered that she was infected with STI and a report made to the police led to the man's arrest.