Elliot Jinjika
CHIVHU – A 27-year-old man residing at Denenga Farm in Beatrice allegedly took advantage of the absence of his wife and raped his 16-year-old before ordering her not to reveal the ordeal to anyone, the Chivhu Magistrates Court heard last week.
Jairos Mageza appeared before magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni facing allegations of rape and was remanded in custody for further trial.
The State, led by Nicholas Mabvongodze, claimed that on July 14, 2017 at around 04:30 hrs, Mageza entered the dining room where his maid was sleeping alone, got in to her blankets and had sexual intercourse with her without her consent.
The accused then ordered the maid not to tell his wife and he left the victim crying while going to work.
The complainant, however, divulged everything when the accused and his wife returned from work in the evening of that day.
After the accused was questioned by his wife, he denied everything but their neighbour noticed changes on the victim’s character as she would look confused, unhappy and devastated.
When asked what was wrong, the victim refused to talk, only saying she wanted to go back to her mother at Mupandaguta Farm in Banket.
The neighbour then asked the accused’s wife for US$5 and gave it to the maid who then used it as bus fare to travel home where she reported the case to her mother.
A report was filed at Banket police, leading to the arrest of the accused person.
The trial continues tomorrow, Firday, in the Chivhu Magistrates Court.local
