Female ‘rapists’ trial delayed by DNA results

HARARE – A DNA test continues to stall the trial of the three woman accused of sexually abusing men before harvesting the semen last year. The trial which has generated a lot of interest from human rights groups and people from all walks of life, has also been moved to February 23.

The state led by Tapiwa Kaseme told the court that the trial date had to be postponed because the DNA test results had not yet been released  from South African Police Service Forensic Science laboratory.

The court heard last week that samples had been sent to South Africa to verify whether the women’s blood samples and victims’ samples matched. Sisters Sophie and Netsai Nhokwara, 26 and 24,respectively and Rosemary Chakwizira, 28, are facing aggravated indecent assault charges.

They are jointly charged with another 24-year-old man, Thulani Ngwenya. The four are out on $300 bail each, which was granted by Harare magistrate Munamato Mutevedzi on October 27.

The women are suspected to be part of a syndicate of female “rapists” who had gone on a rampage along the country’s major highways, “raping” men at gunpoint. The three were arrested at an accident scene on the 43-kilometre peg along the Gweru-Lower Gweru road, on October 8 2011.

Their arrest came after packs of used condoms with semen were discovered in a car belonging to one of the women. The car was being driven by Ngwenya.

It is alleged that on realising their “valuable loot” was in the car which had been involved in the accident, the women rushed to the scene intending to take it. They however, ran out of luck as police had already discovered the loot during a random search of the vehicle.

17 men, including a soldier and policemen have so far stepped forward saying they were “raped” by the women. According to state papers, on various occasions the women would use different tricks to lure men before spraying them with unknown chemicals.

The court heard how the women would take their victims to secluded places where they would force them to drink a concoction to stimulate sexual desire. The court was told that the women would take turns to have sexual intercourse with the victims before leaving them lying unconscious. Daily News