News / National
Man promises to bribe rape witness with a tin of baked beans
17 Sep 2024 at 19:44hrs | Views
A 64-YEAR-OLD man from Tsholotsho, Jahe Village was sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping a mentally challenged girl.
Zakeu Mpofu appeared before Bulawayo's Magistrate Mr Matthew Mutiro on Tuesday facing three counts of raping a mentally challenged juvenile.
The victim is his neighbour.
According to court papers, Mpofu started sexually assaulting the juvenile sometime in 2018.
On count one, on an unknown date in 2018 at around 2 pm when the complainant was coming from school, Mpofu dragged the complainant to the bushes where he forced the complainant to lie on the ground before raping her. After the act, Mpofu threatened to kill the complainant with an Okapi knife if she revealed the matter to her granny.
For the second count, from the period of 2018 to May 17, 2024, the accused person continued having sexual intercourse with the juvenile and kept threatening to kill her if she revealed the matter to anyone.
Mpofu, the court heard, was once caught in the act by the complainant's friend whom he promised a tin of baked beans if she did not reveal the matter.
The matter came to light when the accused bought a blanket for the complainant. This suspicious act led the grandmother of the victim to inform Ms Sukoluhle Msebele, a member of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee. Ms Msebele interviewed the complainant and escorted her on the following day, to report the matter at Tsholotsho Police Station.
The victim was referred to Tsholotsho District Hospital where she was medically examined. The medical assessments proved the victim was sexually abused.
Prosecuting, Ms Concilia Ncube said: "The accused was taking advantage of the complainant's condition as she was underage, vulnerable and mentally challenged."
She said the child will have long-term psychological effects as she was only 10 years old and abused several times, adding that Mpofu is old enough to be the victim's grandfather.
"So it was the accused's duty as a neighbour to protect the victim but not to abuse her," said the prosecutor.
Mpofu was sentenced to 15 years in prison for all three counts and nothing was suspended.
Zakeu Mpofu appeared before Bulawayo's Magistrate Mr Matthew Mutiro on Tuesday facing three counts of raping a mentally challenged juvenile.
The victim is his neighbour.
According to court papers, Mpofu started sexually assaulting the juvenile sometime in 2018.
On count one, on an unknown date in 2018 at around 2 pm when the complainant was coming from school, Mpofu dragged the complainant to the bushes where he forced the complainant to lie on the ground before raping her. After the act, Mpofu threatened to kill the complainant with an Okapi knife if she revealed the matter to her granny.
For the second count, from the period of 2018 to May 17, 2024, the accused person continued having sexual intercourse with the juvenile and kept threatening to kill her if she revealed the matter to anyone.
The matter came to light when the accused bought a blanket for the complainant. This suspicious act led the grandmother of the victim to inform Ms Sukoluhle Msebele, a member of the Neighbourhood Watch Committee. Ms Msebele interviewed the complainant and escorted her on the following day, to report the matter at Tsholotsho Police Station.
The victim was referred to Tsholotsho District Hospital where she was medically examined. The medical assessments proved the victim was sexually abused.
Prosecuting, Ms Concilia Ncube said: "The accused was taking advantage of the complainant's condition as she was underage, vulnerable and mentally challenged."
She said the child will have long-term psychological effects as she was only 10 years old and abused several times, adding that Mpofu is old enough to be the victim's grandfather.
"So it was the accused's duty as a neighbour to protect the victim but not to abuse her," said the prosecutor.
Mpofu was sentenced to 15 years in prison for all three counts and nothing was suspended.
Source - The Chronicle
