News / Regional
Rapist targets grannies
14 Dec 2014 at 07:48hrs | Views
AN unidentified knife-wielding rapist who recently raped two grannies from Matobo struck again after he reportedly tried to rape two other elderly women.
This time around the rapist met his match after he was thoroughly beaten by one of his victims before he escaped into the bushes.
Chief Malachi Masuku confirmed the two incidents which occurred in Shumbeshabe and Lushumbe villages in Vulindlela Ward 16 on 4 and 5 December.
He said a search for the rape suspect was still on.
"I received two reports from my area of two more elderly women who were attacked by an unknown man. The first incident occurred on the night of 4 December where the rapist who was holding a knife attacked a 79-year-old woman from Lushumbe area while she was asleep in her bedroom hut," said Chief Masuku.
He said the old woman screamed for help and her teenage grandchildren chased him away. Chief Masuku said on the evening of the following day the knife-wielding rapist attacked a 72-year-old woman from Shumbeshabe Village. Chief Masuku said the old woman who stays with her grandchildren was asleep in her bedroom hut when the rapist barged in at around 11pm.
He said the old woman who was well-prepared, following previous attacks on fellow elderly villagers, took a knobkerrie from under her bed and pounced on the assailant.
He said the rapist fled from the old woman's homestead and disappeared into the night.
"The old woman alerted her neighbours who tried to pursue the criminal but they failed because it was dark. On the following morning they tried to follow his footprints to see which homestead they will lead to but that was fruitless as well," said Chief Masuku.
He said the old woman pointed out that she did not recognise her assailant but noticed that he was a young man.
Chief Masuku said they suspected that the attacks were being perpetrated by the same person because although the victims did not recognise his face they all confirmed that it was a young man who had attacked them.
A man suspected to be in his late 20s raped an 85-year-old visually impaired granny and a 91-year-old woman from the same village last month. The man approached the 91-year-old woman who was alone at her homestead and asked for water to drink.
As the woman was collecting the water he followed her into her kitchen hut and raped her at knife point.
Two weeks before the incident he found the visually impaired granny alone at her homestead and raped her once.
"These rape cases perpetrated against old women have become a cause for concern in our area.
Youngsters have gone wild because of the dagga which they are smoking.
"Another problem that we have are these cocktail bars which close late and they promote mischief among youths," said Chief Masuku.
He said there was a need for severe sentences for rape convicts in order to instil fear among other potential perpetrators.
He said as a mitigation measure, they had advised elderly women in their area to take up precautionary measures until the culprit was arrested.
This time around the rapist met his match after he was thoroughly beaten by one of his victims before he escaped into the bushes.
Chief Malachi Masuku confirmed the two incidents which occurred in Shumbeshabe and Lushumbe villages in Vulindlela Ward 16 on 4 and 5 December.
He said a search for the rape suspect was still on.
"I received two reports from my area of two more elderly women who were attacked by an unknown man. The first incident occurred on the night of 4 December where the rapist who was holding a knife attacked a 79-year-old woman from Lushumbe area while she was asleep in her bedroom hut," said Chief Masuku.
He said the old woman screamed for help and her teenage grandchildren chased him away. Chief Masuku said on the evening of the following day the knife-wielding rapist attacked a 72-year-old woman from Shumbeshabe Village. Chief Masuku said the old woman who stays with her grandchildren was asleep in her bedroom hut when the rapist barged in at around 11pm.
He said the old woman who was well-prepared, following previous attacks on fellow elderly villagers, took a knobkerrie from under her bed and pounced on the assailant.
He said the rapist fled from the old woman's homestead and disappeared into the night.
"The old woman alerted her neighbours who tried to pursue the criminal but they failed because it was dark. On the following morning they tried to follow his footprints to see which homestead they will lead to but that was fruitless as well," said Chief Masuku.
Chief Masuku said they suspected that the attacks were being perpetrated by the same person because although the victims did not recognise his face they all confirmed that it was a young man who had attacked them.
A man suspected to be in his late 20s raped an 85-year-old visually impaired granny and a 91-year-old woman from the same village last month. The man approached the 91-year-old woman who was alone at her homestead and asked for water to drink.
As the woman was collecting the water he followed her into her kitchen hut and raped her at knife point.
Two weeks before the incident he found the visually impaired granny alone at her homestead and raped her once.
"These rape cases perpetrated against old women have become a cause for concern in our area.
Youngsters have gone wild because of the dagga which they are smoking.
"Another problem that we have are these cocktail bars which close late and they promote mischief among youths," said Chief Masuku.
He said there was a need for severe sentences for rape convicts in order to instil fear among other potential perpetrators.
He said as a mitigation measure, they had advised elderly women in their area to take up precautionary measures until the culprit was arrested.
Source - Sunday News
