News / Local
Witness collapses in court while giving rape evidence
23 Oct 2013 at 04:56hrs | Views
AN elderly Bulawayo woman collapsed in court on Monday while giving evidence in a case in which her husband is accused of raping their 14-year old granddaughter.
The woman (name withheld) was a defence witness in a case in which her husband is accused of raping their 14-year-old granddaughter on four different occasions.
The woman collapsed when she was being cross-examined by the prosecutor, Mr Goodluck Katenaire.
"We were shocked because the woman was initially responding well to questions and maybe later on she felt that she could no longer handle the situation.
"From the way she was testifying, it seemed she was trying to cover up for her husband and as the prosecutor kept questioning her, she suddenly collapsed and everyone was shocked," said an official on condition of anonymity. The woman reportedly told the court that she could not continue responding to questions before she collapsed.
An ambulance arrived 30 minutes later and she was rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) although it could not be established whether she was admitted.
The State's case is that her husband (name also withheld to protect the minor girl) from Nkayi allegedly sexually abused the juvenile who was doing Form One at a local school in 2009.
The grandfather and the minor girl were alone at home when he called her to his bedroom and threatened to bewitch her if she refused to have sex with him.
It is alleged that he raped her once on that particular day. The court was told that the girl fled to her maternal grandmother in the same area and sometime in September last year, the old man followed and brought her back home where he allegedly raped her again.
On another night, the grandfather allegedly forcibly ordered the girl to sleep in his bedroom hut and allegedly raped her once. The court was told that the man later that night followed his granddaughter to her room and allegedly raped her again.
He ran out of luck in October last year when he allegedly wrote a letter to the juvenile girl and the note was intercepted by a relative.
A report was later made at Gwelutshena Police Post leading to the old man's arrest.
The matter continues tomorrow when the magistrate Mr Collette Ncube is expected to give judgment.
The woman (name withheld) was a defence witness in a case in which her husband is accused of raping their 14-year-old granddaughter on four different occasions.
The woman collapsed when she was being cross-examined by the prosecutor, Mr Goodluck Katenaire.
"We were shocked because the woman was initially responding well to questions and maybe later on she felt that she could no longer handle the situation.
"From the way she was testifying, it seemed she was trying to cover up for her husband and as the prosecutor kept questioning her, she suddenly collapsed and everyone was shocked," said an official on condition of anonymity. The woman reportedly told the court that she could not continue responding to questions before she collapsed.
An ambulance arrived 30 minutes later and she was rushed to the United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) although it could not be established whether she was admitted.
The State's case is that her husband (name also withheld to protect the minor girl) from Nkayi allegedly sexually abused the juvenile who was doing Form One at a local school in 2009.
The grandfather and the minor girl were alone at home when he called her to his bedroom and threatened to bewitch her if she refused to have sex with him.
It is alleged that he raped her once on that particular day. The court was told that the girl fled to her maternal grandmother in the same area and sometime in September last year, the old man followed and brought her back home where he allegedly raped her again.
On another night, the grandfather allegedly forcibly ordered the girl to sleep in his bedroom hut and allegedly raped her once. The court was told that the man later that night followed his granddaughter to her room and allegedly raped her again.
He ran out of luck in October last year when he allegedly wrote a letter to the juvenile girl and the note was intercepted by a relative.
A report was later made at Gwelutshena Police Post leading to the old man's arrest.
The matter continues tomorrow when the magistrate Mr Collette Ncube is expected to give judgment.
Source - chronicle
