25-year-old man rapes granny (62)

By Andrew Kunambura

In a bizarre case of sexual assault, a sex-starved 25-year-old man throttled a 62-year-old woman and raped her in her own bedroom. Bindura Regional Magistrate Mr William Bhila on Wednesday slapped Mike Mahere of Chaka Village under Chief Makope, Chiweshe, with a15-year-jail-term.

He, however, suspended three years on condition Mahere does not commit an offence of a sexual nature in the next five years. Mahere had denied raping the woman. Her husband, who appeared to have difficulties with his hearing, had to be excused from testifying after he struggled to give evidence as a state witness.

Prosecutor Mr Munyaradzi Mataranyika said on February 1 this year, Mahere arrived at the woman’s homestead at around 8pm and misrepresented that he intended to spend some time with her husband. The elderly couple later invited him for supper but he declined and immediately left saying he was going home.

A married man with two children, Mahere, however, only went round the kitchen hut, sneaked into the couple’s bedroom hut and waited for the woman to retire to bed.

After enjoying supper, the woman took her two grandchildren to prepare to retire for the night. Prosecutor Mataranyika said on entering into the bedroom, one of the woman’s grandchildren lit a fire using a glowing log they had brought along.

At that juncture, Mahere emerged from his hiding place and grabbed the woman by the neck strangling her in a bid to render her powerless. He then tripped her to the floor before tearing her undergarments and raping her in full view of the grandchildren.

Mahere fled when the husband arrived to enquire about the commotion. The woman reported the matter to police the following morning leading to Mahere’s arrest.