ZIMBABWE – A 28-YEAR-OLD man i Zimbabwe has been arrested for allegedly raping his 84-year-old paternal grandmother on Christmas Day.

The accused person who cannot be named for ethical reasons but from Magedleni Village in Gwanda was not asked to plead when he appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda facing a rape charge.

He was remanded in custody to January 13.

Prosecuting, Mr Noel Mandebvu said the accused person who stays in the same village with his grandmother crept into her bedroom hut in the middle of the night while she was asleep and raped her.

“On 25 December at around 11PM the accused person gained entry into the bedroom where the complainant was sleeping. He removed the complainant’s clothes and raped her once before fleeing the scene. After he had fled the complainant called out to her neighbours who rushed to assist her.

“The complainant didn’t see the accused person’s face as it was dark but recognised his voice. The matter was reported to the police and the accused person was arrested,” he said.

In another incident a 40-year-old man from Colleen Bawn has been arrested for allegedly raping his co-tenant’s 13-year-old daughter.

He was not asked to plead when he appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Sibanda facing a rape charge. He was remanded in custody to January 9.

Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said the man raped the juvenile on November 29 after he entered her bedroom in the middle of the night while her parents were asleep.

“The accused person who is a co-tenant with complainant’s parents opened the complainant’s unlocked bedroom door in the middle of the night. He got into her blankets and started caressing the complainant who was asleep. He removed the complainant’s underwear and raped her.

“The complainant woke up to find the accused person raping her and when she tried to scream for help he covered her mouth with his hand. The accused person threatened to kill the complainant if she revealed the matter to anyone and she remained quiet. He further bought her underwear in order to buy her silence,” she said.

Miss Mutukwa said the matter came to light on December 2 after the complainant’s mother saw the underwear and she questioned her daughter about it who went on to reveal that she had been given by the accused who had raped her.

She said the matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused person.

Source : The Chronicles