By Lovemore Meya
Recording a video while raping his 15-year-old niece has backfired for a 23-year-old Chitungwiza man after the footage leaked. The man is employed as a security guard at a high school in the town.
Allegations are that he raped the minor on two occasions. In trying to conceal the offence, he threatened to throw her into a dam and also gave her 50 cents.
One of her friends mistakenly transferred the footage into his cellphone while getting some games, and later showed the rape footage to the minor’s mother.
Appearing before Chitungwiza regional magistrate Ms Estere Chivasa, the man denied the allegations, claiming that the case was fabricated.
“The allegations are fabricated because there is bad blood between my aunt (complainant’s mother) and me. On the day, I went to work when she was accompanied by my wife to go and search for keys she had lost. The video which was recorded will prove that I did not abuse her,” he said.
The minor was able to narrate how he raped her on the two occasions.
“The accused is lying because he formatted his cellphone containing the video,” said the minor. “He recorded it when he raped me on the second day at his house after picking me up at school. My mother came to know about it after seeing the video shown to her by his friend.
“On the first count (September) 10, I accompanied his wife to Hunyani River for some prayers when I lost the keys. When we arrived home, his mother instructed him to accompany me to search for the keys, where he raped me.”
The minor’s mother and the accused’s friend also testified. The accused called his wife as a witness and she gave conflicting statements.
“On September 10, my husband left for their rural home in Marondera,” she said. The Herald
