News / National
Housebreakers kidnap, gang-rape girl (4) in Harare
17 Feb 2012 at 17:41hrs | Views
HOUSEBREAKERS raided a house in Avondale West, Harare, kidnapped a four-year-old girl and took turns to rape her early yesterday morning.
The incident occurred at around 2am at the house along Lomagundi Road.
The gang also got away with two cellphones.
Police yesterday said no arrests had been made and investigations were underway.
They suspect the act was motivated by ritual practices. The girl was found crying at a house a kilometre away from her parents' house.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau said: "According to the girl's father, he retired to bed with his wife and the victim at around 9pm yesterday (Thursday). The couple was sleeping on the bed while the girl was on a sofa in the same room," he said.
Insp Sabau said at around 4am, the father woke up and discovered that the girl was missing. Two cellphones and a satchel with Form Three textbooks were also missing.
Insp Sabau said a report was made at Avondale Police Station the same day.
The assailants reportedly gained entry into the house by opening a cracked window which had no burglar bars.
"The police dog section was summoned and tried to help locate the girl, but failed. At around 7am, a woman who lives along Sherwood Drive, about a kilometre from the victim's house approached the girl's parents at their home saying she had seen her dumped outside her home," Insp Sabau said.
They went to the scene and found that the girl had been raped. She was taken to Harare Central Hospital for medical examination.
"The girl's father said he did not hear anything and was asleep like someone who had been drugged," Insp Sabau said.
He appealed to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to approach any nearest police station.
According to the girl's uncle, the victim was sleeping on the sofa with his five-year-old daughter.
"My daughter is reported to have slipped from the sofa and went under the bed, leaving the victim alone. That could have been the reason why these criminals could also not locate her," he said.
He said he believed that the rapists could have sprayed an unknown substance to intoxicate his brother and wife.
The uncle said there were expensive electrical gadgets and other valuables in the house, but the thieves only stole the two cellphones.
He said the girl told them that two people carried her and scaled over the security wall at the house while her mouth was gagged by papers.
"They took her to a cabin at a house along Sherwood Drive where they raped her," he said.
The incident occurred at around 2am at the house along Lomagundi Road.
The gang also got away with two cellphones.
Police yesterday said no arrests had been made and investigations were underway.
They suspect the act was motivated by ritual practices. The girl was found crying at a house a kilometre away from her parents' house.
Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector James Sabau said: "According to the girl's father, he retired to bed with his wife and the victim at around 9pm yesterday (Thursday). The couple was sleeping on the bed while the girl was on a sofa in the same room," he said.
Insp Sabau said at around 4am, the father woke up and discovered that the girl was missing. Two cellphones and a satchel with Form Three textbooks were also missing.
Insp Sabau said a report was made at Avondale Police Station the same day.
The assailants reportedly gained entry into the house by opening a cracked window which had no burglar bars.
They went to the scene and found that the girl had been raped. She was taken to Harare Central Hospital for medical examination.
"The girl's father said he did not hear anything and was asleep like someone who had been drugged," Insp Sabau said.
He appealed to anyone with information that could lead to the arrest of the suspects to approach any nearest police station.
According to the girl's uncle, the victim was sleeping on the sofa with his five-year-old daughter.
"My daughter is reported to have slipped from the sofa and went under the bed, leaving the victim alone. That could have been the reason why these criminals could also not locate her," he said.
He said he believed that the rapists could have sprayed an unknown substance to intoxicate his brother and wife.
The uncle said there were expensive electrical gadgets and other valuables in the house, but the thieves only stole the two cellphones.
He said the girl told them that two people carried her and scaled over the security wall at the house while her mouth was gagged by papers.
"They took her to a cabin at a house along Sherwood Drive where they raped her," he said.
Source - TH
