Bulawayo women warned on marauding gang rapists

A THREE-men gang is allegedly on the prowl and gang-raping women in bushy areas around Bulawayo, police have warned.

Two women fell victim to the trio in two consecutive days this week.

National police spokesperson Senior Assistant Commissioner Charity Charamba said on Monday, the suspects raped a woman who was walking with her boyfriend in Nkulumane suburb.

"One of their victims was walking with her boyfriend and they grabbed both of them from behind but the man managed to escape. The trio then took turns to rape the woman," she said.

"We are concerned with robbery and rape cases that are happening especially in Bulawayo. Two women were raped and robbed by three unknown men between Monday and Tuesday in Bulawayo. And we believe it's the same group which perpetrated the crime because they used the same modus operandi".

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said on Tuesday, the same suspects sexually violated a 17-year-old girl from Paddonhurst suburb and robbed her of three cellphones. The attack occurred in a bushy area between Suburbs and Kumalo Flats in Kumalo suburb.

"The second case involved a teenager who was walking alone in Suburbs. She met three male adults who asked for directions from her. She offered to show them the directions as she was also walking towards the same way. Along the way, the trio produced a knife, threatened her before they took turns to rape her," she said.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba said it was traumatising for a woman to be raped and extremely distressing to be gang raped.

"This is a very traumatic experience because it exposes women to sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV. The suspects are yet to be arrested and we are appealing for information that may lead to the arrest of these heartless people. I would also want to urge women to walk in groups and avoid using secluded places," she said.

Snr Asst Comm Charamba urged members of the public to avoid keeping large sums of money in their homes as armed robbers were now targeting cash hoarders most of whom have little security in their homes.

She said police would continue to come down hard on rogue motorists on the country's roads.

"We are warning drivers who are causing lawlessness on the roads that their days are numbered. We are conducting operations to remove all the unruly drivers. We can't continue to have motorists behaving as if the roads are a jungle," Snr Asst Comm Charamba.