An 18-year-old man has been arraigned before the courts for allegedly raping his 13-year-old niece, claiming that he is fulfilling her late father’s ‘wishes.’
The court heard that the incident occurred when the man visited the girl’s (both names withheld for ethical reasons) family at Fairbridge police camp in Bulawayo.
The man allegedly told the minor that he had been dreaming of her late father and he was telling him to fall in love with her.
When the minor rejected the man’s request, the court heard, he threatened her, claiming bad things would befall her for defying instructions from the spiritual world.
The man appeared before Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Elisha Singani facing a rape charge.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge and was remanded in custody to July 9.
Representing the State, Patience Sibanda told the court that the incident occurred between the months of March and July 2020 while the man was visiting the girl’s family.
“Allegations are that in the month of March 2020 the accused person went to the complainant’s home at Fairbridge Police Camp where he stayed for a while. He told the minor that he had been dreaming about her father and he wanted him to be in a relationship with her but the minor refused,” Sibanda said.
“In July 2020 the accused person approached the minor again and told her that he dreamt of her father again and he was instructing him to kiss her. When she declined his request again he threatened her saying she would face the consequences of denying the demands of the spiritual world. Due to the fear instilled in her, the minor let the accused person kiss her once on the lips.”
Sibanda said a few days later the man went to the minor and told her that her father wanted him to hug her and she agreed.
“In the same month of July, the accused person raped the minor and told her not to tell anyone about the incident as this would upset her father and the spiritual world. After several occasions, the minor told her mother what the accused person was demanding of her. A police report was made leading to the arrest of the accused person.”
