Bright Zhou
A Masvingo man is facing charges in court for allegedly raping his minor sister-in-law. Masvingo Magistrate Bishard Chineka remanded the accused out of custody, awaiting the continuation of the trial on January 26, 2023.
According to the state’s case, on September 30, 2023, the 13-year-old girl was invited by her sister to visit their place of residence. The following day, she went to her sister’s homestead, where they were lodging in a single room with her husband.
At around 10:00 pm, the elder sister and her younger sister retired to bed, with the elder sister providing her a place and two blankets to sleep in the same room. At 11:30 pm, the accused returned home from work. Upon inquiring, he learned that the girl was his sister-in-law visiting their residence.
They all went to bed, but around 3:00 am, he switched off the lights, approached his sister-in-law, and got inside the blankets. Threatening harm if she screamed or revealed the incident, he proceeded to rape her. The noise alerted the elder sister, who discovered the assault.
Upon inquiry, the young sister revealed that she had been raped. The elder sister reported the matter to Masvingo Central Police Station, leading to the arrest of the accused. Innocent Mudzingwa prosecuted the case.
