News / Regional
Girl beaten for revealing friend's HIV+ status
28 Jan 2016 at 06:00hrs | Views
A 17-YEAR-OLD girl from Inyathi has been hospitalised after she was beaten up for revealing her 22-year-old friend's HIV status.
The teen from Mahlabathini area is admitted at Inyathi District Hospital after an HIV positive woman teamed up with three others: a 17-year-old girl and two other women - Samkelo Khabo, 25, and Soneni Ndlovu, 26, to severely assault her for the disclosure.
The four allegedly armed themselves with a metal rod and other weapons which they used to attack the girl at her parents' home last Friday.
The four pleaded guilty to assault charges when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Stephen Ndlovu on circuit at Inyathi court.
They were remanded in custody to February 8 because their victim is still hospitalised and her condition is not known.
The State is yet to get a medical report, the court was told. Prosecuting, Lungisani Dube said on Friday last week at around 8PM, the HIV positive woman teamed up with three others and went to confront the teenager at her parents' home over the HIV status disclosure.
"The woman accused the complainant of disclosing her HIV status to people. They confronted her and she said she had been told by Ndlovu (Soneni). This angered Ndlovu who pounced on the complainant and started to assault her with a piece of hosepipe," Dube said.
The court heard that the other three friends then joined in the attack. "They assaulted her with fists, knobkerrie, hosepipe and a metal rod. She screamed attracting the attention of a neighbour who came to her rescue. Upon discovering that she was bleeding and in pain, the four fled from the scene," the prosecutor said.
The neighbour helped her make a report to the police leading to the arrest of her attackers.
She was taken to Inyathi District Hospital and was immediately admitted.
The teen from Mahlabathini area is admitted at Inyathi District Hospital after an HIV positive woman teamed up with three others: a 17-year-old girl and two other women - Samkelo Khabo, 25, and Soneni Ndlovu, 26, to severely assault her for the disclosure.
The four allegedly armed themselves with a metal rod and other weapons which they used to attack the girl at her parents' home last Friday.
The four pleaded guilty to assault charges when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Stephen Ndlovu on circuit at Inyathi court.
They were remanded in custody to February 8 because their victim is still hospitalised and her condition is not known.
"The woman accused the complainant of disclosing her HIV status to people. They confronted her and she said she had been told by Ndlovu (Soneni). This angered Ndlovu who pounced on the complainant and started to assault her with a piece of hosepipe," Dube said.
The court heard that the other three friends then joined in the attack. "They assaulted her with fists, knobkerrie, hosepipe and a metal rod. She screamed attracting the attention of a neighbour who came to her rescue. Upon discovering that she was bleeding and in pain, the four fled from the scene," the prosecutor said.
The neighbour helped her make a report to the police leading to the arrest of her attackers.
She was taken to Inyathi District Hospital and was immediately admitted.
Source - chronicle
