News / National
Evil rapist nabbed
03 Jul 2015 at 04:43hrs | Views
SAKUBVA residents, who apparently were left quaking in their shoes following a series of unsolved abysmal rape cases in which young girls aged between 10 and 15 fell prey to a cunning and ruthless rapist, are a relieved lot following last week's arrest of the suspect.
The arrest of Vengai Chimombe (33) of House Number 104 Muchena, Sakubva is likely to clear a litany of rape cases that hogged Mutare's oldest high-density suburb in recent months.
Luck ran out for the married suspect, who had managed to evade law enforcement agents for close to two years, when a 10-year-old victim spotted him at a busy market place in the suburb.
Upon seeing the person who forcibly deflowered her, the girl screamed, alerting residents who subsequently gave chase as Chimombe took to his heels.
Although he managed to escape, his cover had been blown off as residents got to know that Chimombe was the person behind the serial rape cases that had literally sent parents into panic mode.
Detectives then lied in ambush at his house, leading to his arrest.
Speaking at Sakubva Police Station on Tuesday, the seemingly remorseless suspect, who is married with two daughters, narrated his modus operandi.
He appeared to have lost count of the number of girls he allegedly raped.
"I started raping these girls last year. I lured them into mountains. I don't know what evil spirit had corrupted my mind to act the way I did. I pretended as if I needed assistance from them after which I would rape them. I only failed to rape one girl, who fought to free herself. She fought hard and I became powerless to rape her.
"When I raped the last victim, my wife had spent a month away from home. In the process of raping the girl, she soiled herself and I left her lying unconscious and bolted from the scene," he said.
He became speechless when asked how he felt if his two daughters were to face the same abuse he perpetrated on the girls.
"It will hurt me and I would not like anyone to do that to my children," he said.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Inspector Enock Chishiri said an identification parade was quickly conducted at Sakubva Police Station after his arrest, where four of the victims positively identified him as the perpetrator of the sexual abuse.
Detectives who witnessed the identification parade said it was a painful sight as the young girls wept uncontrollably when they set their eyes on Chimombe.
"They vividly remembered him as the person who abused them," said a detective who requested anonymity.
Insp Chishiri said Chimombe pounced on the girls since last year.
"He would target his victims in bushy areas along the Mutare-Beira Road near Valley Lodge as well as near Mutare Teachers' College en-route the Dangamvura Link Road. On August 24 last year he met a 15-year-old girl along Beira Road near Valley Lodge. He pounced on the teenager, grabbed her and raped her once.
"In February this year on an unknown date, but around 7am, he approached a 13-year-old girl near Mutare Teachers' College. He offered to give her $2 if she assisted him to go and carry some goods. Along the way he went to Nyakamete Hills where he raped the unsuspecting girl once," said Insp Chishiri.
On May 18 around 6am, he met a 10-year-old Sakubva girl on her way to school near Mutare Teachers' College and lured her to a mountain which lies between the Grain Marketing Board premises and Fern Valley. He raped her once.
"On June 21 at around 12pm he met a 14-year-old girl and lied to her that he wanted to collect some goods at Gimboki South Housing Scheme in Dangamvura. He offered the girl $2 for assisting him. While on top of Dangamvura Mountain en-route Gimboki, he grabbed the girl, tied her legs and raped her once. In the process of raping the teenager, she soiled herself, but he went on to wipe clean the girl with a doll she was carrying and continued to sexually abuse her.
"She became unconscious. The girl, who was left for dead, was only helped by a woman who had gone up the mountain for afternoon prayers. She carried the unconscious girl down the mountain with blood stains all over her clothes. The matter was reported at Sakubva Police Station. Four days later, one of the victims spotted the accused in Muchena where he resides. After his arrest he admitted to all the charges. He is assisting us with investigations," said Insp Chishiri.
Chimombe was expected to appear in court soon.
The arrest of Vengai Chimombe (33) of House Number 104 Muchena, Sakubva is likely to clear a litany of rape cases that hogged Mutare's oldest high-density suburb in recent months.
Luck ran out for the married suspect, who had managed to evade law enforcement agents for close to two years, when a 10-year-old victim spotted him at a busy market place in the suburb.
Upon seeing the person who forcibly deflowered her, the girl screamed, alerting residents who subsequently gave chase as Chimombe took to his heels.
Although he managed to escape, his cover had been blown off as residents got to know that Chimombe was the person behind the serial rape cases that had literally sent parents into panic mode.
Detectives then lied in ambush at his house, leading to his arrest.
Speaking at Sakubva Police Station on Tuesday, the seemingly remorseless suspect, who is married with two daughters, narrated his modus operandi.
He appeared to have lost count of the number of girls he allegedly raped.
"I started raping these girls last year. I lured them into mountains. I don't know what evil spirit had corrupted my mind to act the way I did. I pretended as if I needed assistance from them after which I would rape them. I only failed to rape one girl, who fought to free herself. She fought hard and I became powerless to rape her.
"When I raped the last victim, my wife had spent a month away from home. In the process of raping the girl, she soiled herself and I left her lying unconscious and bolted from the scene," he said.
He became speechless when asked how he felt if his two daughters were to face the same abuse he perpetrated on the girls.
Manicaland provincial police spokesperson Inspector Enock Chishiri said an identification parade was quickly conducted at Sakubva Police Station after his arrest, where four of the victims positively identified him as the perpetrator of the sexual abuse.
Detectives who witnessed the identification parade said it was a painful sight as the young girls wept uncontrollably when they set their eyes on Chimombe.
"They vividly remembered him as the person who abused them," said a detective who requested anonymity.
Insp Chishiri said Chimombe pounced on the girls since last year.
"He would target his victims in bushy areas along the Mutare-Beira Road near Valley Lodge as well as near Mutare Teachers' College en-route the Dangamvura Link Road. On August 24 last year he met a 15-year-old girl along Beira Road near Valley Lodge. He pounced on the teenager, grabbed her and raped her once.
"In February this year on an unknown date, but around 7am, he approached a 13-year-old girl near Mutare Teachers' College. He offered to give her $2 if she assisted him to go and carry some goods. Along the way he went to Nyakamete Hills where he raped the unsuspecting girl once," said Insp Chishiri.
On May 18 around 6am, he met a 10-year-old Sakubva girl on her way to school near Mutare Teachers' College and lured her to a mountain which lies between the Grain Marketing Board premises and Fern Valley. He raped her once.
"On June 21 at around 12pm he met a 14-year-old girl and lied to her that he wanted to collect some goods at Gimboki South Housing Scheme in Dangamvura. He offered the girl $2 for assisting him. While on top of Dangamvura Mountain en-route Gimboki, he grabbed the girl, tied her legs and raped her once. In the process of raping the teenager, she soiled herself, but he went on to wipe clean the girl with a doll she was carrying and continued to sexually abuse her.
"She became unconscious. The girl, who was left for dead, was only helped by a woman who had gone up the mountain for afternoon prayers. She carried the unconscious girl down the mountain with blood stains all over her clothes. The matter was reported at Sakubva Police Station. Four days later, one of the victims spotted the accused in Muchena where he resides. After his arrest he admitted to all the charges. He is assisting us with investigations," said Insp Chishiri.
Chimombe was expected to appear in court soon.
Source - manicapost
