6 pupils arrested for gang-rape

SIX pupils from a primary school in Mashonaland Central and their 13 year-old friend were last week arrested for raping a twelve-year-old girl who was fetching firewood in a nearby forest.

Acting Mashonaland Central Provincial police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Petros Masikati said the seven, who are aged between 11 and 14, were left in the custody of their parents pending investigations.

"We received a report of seven juveniles who teamed up to rape a 12-year-old girl who was fetching firewood in a nearby bush in the company of her two friends," he said.

The assault took place on October 27.

Police reports indicate that the seven boys followed the girls in the bush and started chasing after them.

The girl's two friends managed to escape, but she was caught by the boys and four of them took turns to rape her while the others held her to the ground.

After raping the girl, the boys fled from the scene, leaving the girl lying helplessly on the ground.

She managed to pull herself up and went home where she told her mother about the incident.

A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the seven boys.