Police in Bulawayo have launched a manhunt for an unidentified man following the rape of a 10-year-old girl in the Rangemore area.
The primary school student was walking home alone from school in Nkulumane on Wednesday afternoon when she was targeted.
The Grade 6 pupil was using a footpath through a bushy area at approximately 4pm when she was followed by a man, according to police.
Bulawayo police spokesperson Inspector Nomalanga Msebele said the suspect produced a knife and threatened the girl to prevent her from screaming.
“He then force-marched the complainant into a nearby maize field where he ordered her to lie down and close her eyes, he forcibly had sexual intercourse with her,” she said.
Inspector Msebele said after the act, the accused person fled and left the complainant lying down.
“The complainant then got up and dressed. As she emerged from the maize field, she met and narrated her ordeal to a passer-by who escorted her to the police to make a police report,” she said.
Authorities have released a description of the suspect in an effort to trace him. He is described as a dark-complexioned man of slim build and medium height with short hair. At the time of the attack, he was wearing a brown T-shirt and blue shorts.
Inspector Msebele urged the public, particularly women and children, to avoid secluded areas and bushy footpaths, noting that overgrown grass and tall crops provide cover for criminals.
No arrests have yet been made and investigations are ongoing.
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