The mother of a nine-year-old girl from Insuza who was allegedly raped by an 18-year-old man in April, shocked the court on Wednesday when she revealed that her daughter had previously been sexually abused by two other men on separate occasions in 2012 and 2013.
She was testifying during the trial of Simiso Tshabalala of Merryland village in Insuza who was arrested on allegations of raping the minor last month.
Tshabalala pleaded not guilty to the offence before magistrate Chrispen Mberewere at the Bulawayo regional court.
The matter triggered alarm in the court, resulting in the magistrate suggesting to the state to consider moving the vulnerable child andher siblings to a safer place, saying it was clear they were being abused.
The victim's mother told the court that the two men who she only identified as John and Mambhida were in custody, serving sentences for raping her daughter in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
"The complainant had been raped by two men from our area prior to this incident. When we approached the neighbourhood watch in the area to make a report, Sdobhinja (in charge of the neighbourhood watch committee in the area) said we should not bother to launch a complaint with the police as the rape cases involving the child were now too much," she said.
"He said the police would not believe the allegations and promised to pay the complainant with a goat and some maize to conceal the matter. I have, however, reported the matter."
The mother of three told the court she stayed in Mathonisa, while her children stayed with her mother, whom she claimed was an abusive drunkard.
"My mother is a drunkard, she has the tendency of beating up the children and even me when she is drunk. I moved to Mathonisa to stay with my father because of her abusive nature. She doesn't want to release the children, she wants to stay with them."
Prosecuting, Trust Muduma told the court that the nine-year-old was allegedly raped by Tshabalala on April 27 2014 in the bush while she was coming from a nearby homestead in the company of her three-year-old sister.
Tshabalala, who approached her from behind, allegedly gagged and dragged her into the bush where he reportedly raped her once.
On May 10, the complainant's mother discovered that she was bleeding and asked her daughter what had transpired.
She was testifying during the trial of Simiso Tshabalala of Merryland village in Insuza who was arrested on allegations of raping the minor last month.
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| Girl (9) raped by three men |
The matter triggered alarm in the court, resulting in the magistrate suggesting to the state to consider moving the vulnerable child andher siblings to a safer place, saying it was clear they were being abused.
The victim's mother told the court that the two men who she only identified as John and Mambhida were in custody, serving sentences for raping her daughter in 2012 and 2013 respectively.
"The complainant had been raped by two men from our area prior to this incident. When we approached the neighbourhood watch in the area to make a report, Sdobhinja (in charge of the neighbourhood watch committee in the area) said we should not bother to launch a complaint with the police as the rape cases involving the child were now too much," she said.
"He said the police would not believe the allegations and promised to pay the complainant with a goat and some maize to conceal the matter. I have, however, reported the matter."
The mother of three told the court she stayed in Mathonisa, while her children stayed with her mother, whom she claimed was an abusive drunkard.
"My mother is a drunkard, she has the tendency of beating up the children and even me when she is drunk. I moved to Mathonisa to stay with my father because of her abusive nature. She doesn't want to release the children, she wants to stay with them."
Prosecuting, Trust Muduma told the court that the nine-year-old was allegedly raped by Tshabalala on April 27 2014 in the bush while she was coming from a nearby homestead in the company of her three-year-old sister.
Tshabalala, who approached her from behind, allegedly gagged and dragged her into the bush where he reportedly raped her once.
On May 10, the complainant's mother discovered that she was bleeding and asked her daughter what had transpired.
