Woman raped while lover watches

Two men reportedly took turns to rape an 18-year-old woman at Granville Cemetery on Saturday evening, while her boyfriend was forced to watch. In a separate incident at the same location later that night, another woman was similarly assaulted.

According to reports, the 18-year-old woman and her boyfriend were walking near Granville Cemetery around 8 pm when they encountered two men who demanded their national identification cards. The boyfriend was ordered to sit down and was struck on the forehead with an unknown object. The men then dragged the woman onto a grave and took turns raping her without protection.

After the assault, the woman was hit on the head, fell unconscious, but later regained consciousness and went with her boyfriend to lodge a complaint at the Southlea Park Police Station.

Harare provincial police spokesperson Inspector Luckmore Chakanza confirmed that police are investigating two separate rape cases that occurred at the cemetery on the same day.

"In the second case, a 26-year-old woman was raped by two men until she lost consciousness. The victim had left her home with her seven-month-old baby to walk to Boka around 11 pm when the assault occurred. The perpetrators forcibly undressed and raped her on top of a grave without protection," Insp Chakanza said.

Both victims have been escorted to Edith Opperman Clinic for medical examinations.

Insp Chakanza urged residents to avoid walking in secluded places at night and warned perpetrators that the law will catch up with them.

"The police remain committed to investigating these crimes and ensuring justice is served," he added.