News / Local
Family conceals rape, marries off teenage daughter
11 Oct 2014 at 14:09hrs | Views
AN Inyathi family concealed the rape of a 15-year-old girl by marrying her off to the alleged rapist, her eldest sister's husband, a court heard.
The 28-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, told a Bulawayo magistrate on Thursday that he had consensual sex with the girl.
"I didn't rape this girl, actually she's my second wife, my wife's young sister," he told magistrate Chrispen Mberewere after pleading 'not guilty' to rape.
"She claims I had sex with her on December 14, but I started engaging in sex with her on December 27 after we were married.
"My wife knew about this, she even offered us the use of her kitchen as our bedroom and gave us blankets to use during our first sexual encounter. Some elders from our village know about the marriage and they can be called to testify."
He admitted having at least six sexual encounters with the teenager without protection, insisting his in-laws blessed his marriage to the girl.
But his wife, taking the witness stand, trashed his defence, insisting that he was unfit to marry her sister.
"My husband is very abusive, I've marks all over the body as he routinely assaults me using an axe handle. This man raped my sister and when he discovered that we knew, he detained both me and my sister and would not allow us to leave the home without his permission," she testified.
"My sister was raped while I was fetching water and he threatened her with death. We told our mother and the family tried resolving the issue without engaging police until we tipped a Neighbourhood Watch Committee (NWC) member who made a report to the police on my sister's behalf."
The alleged victim's mother also accused her son-in-law of rape, but admitted that they had settled the matter without involving law enforcement.
"He said he wanted some marriage arrangements and offered some cattle.
"The matter was discussed within the family and we agreed to conceal the rape. However, after some time, he suspected that my daughters had discussed the matter with a member of the NWC and started monitoring our movements and even threatened to assault me," the mother told court.
Magistrate Mberewere remanded the alleged rapist in custody to October 20 for continuation of trial.
Robin Mukura is leading the prosecution.
The 28-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of his victim, told a Bulawayo magistrate on Thursday that he had consensual sex with the girl.
"I didn't rape this girl, actually she's my second wife, my wife's young sister," he told magistrate Chrispen Mberewere after pleading 'not guilty' to rape.
"She claims I had sex with her on December 14, but I started engaging in sex with her on December 27 after we were married.
"My wife knew about this, she even offered us the use of her kitchen as our bedroom and gave us blankets to use during our first sexual encounter. Some elders from our village know about the marriage and they can be called to testify."
He admitted having at least six sexual encounters with the teenager without protection, insisting his in-laws blessed his marriage to the girl.
But his wife, taking the witness stand, trashed his defence, insisting that he was unfit to marry her sister.
"My sister was raped while I was fetching water and he threatened her with death. We told our mother and the family tried resolving the issue without engaging police until we tipped a Neighbourhood Watch Committee (NWC) member who made a report to the police on my sister's behalf."
The alleged victim's mother also accused her son-in-law of rape, but admitted that they had settled the matter without involving law enforcement.
"He said he wanted some marriage arrangements and offered some cattle.
"The matter was discussed within the family and we agreed to conceal the rape. However, after some time, he suspected that my daughters had discussed the matter with a member of the NWC and started monitoring our movements and even threatened to assault me," the mother told court.
Magistrate Mberewere remanded the alleged rapist in custody to October 20 for continuation of trial.
Robin Mukura is leading the prosecution.
Source - chronicle
