Nurse aide raped in mortuary at Parirenyatwa

HARARE- A Parirenyatwa Hospital mortuary attendant allegedly dragged a fellow mortuary attendant into a mortuary and raped her. Tapiwa Goto (26) appeared in court yesterday charged with rape. He pleaded not guilty to the charges before regional magistrate Ms Memory Chigwaza who remanded him in custody to Friday for judgment.

In his defence outline, Goto claimed he was the nurse aide’s lover for two years. Prosecutor Ms Tinashe Kanyemba alleges that on October 1 last year at about 6:30pm the complainant met Goto in the corridor at their workplace and grabbed her handbag.

The State says the complainant resisted, but she was overpowered and Goto dragged her into his office which is in the morgue. He is alleged to have indecently assaulted her before raping her.

During the incident, the State says, their workmate Mr Stan Chikondo knocked at the door and Goto got up and put on his clothes and the complainant followed suit. After a minute, Mr Chikondo got inside the room and saw the complainant crying and asked what was happening.

The complainant, it is alleged, told Goto that she was going to the matron and he followed her. Along the way Goto allegedly pleaded with the complainant not to report the matter. Mr Muranda, it is alleged, phoned Goto who came to his office and upon quizzing, the mortuary attendant admitted to the crime and apologised saying he would do “something” for the complainant.

On October 4 the same year Goto’s wife phoned the complainant telling her she wanted to discuss the issue. The complainant phoned Goto after failing to get hold of his wife and he told her to wait. After Goto’s wife did not turn up, the complainant made a report that led to Goto’ arrest.