Police hunt for abuser of 13-year-old girl

By Precious Manomano

Police are appealing for information leading to the arrest of a 40-year-old man from Harare’s Mabvuku high-density suburb, who is on police wanted list over the alleged sexual abuse of a 13-year-old girl with whom he has been co-habiting for two years.

Harare provincial spokesperson Assistant Inspector Simon Chazovachiyi last Friday said they were looking for Collen Bhamusi, who has been playing hide-and-seek with the authorities.

Ass Insp Chazovachiyi said they had intensified efforts to arrest Bhamusi who has been elusive for several months.

“We have been to the are,a including a house where Bhamusi is believed to be residing, but unfortunately the people in the community say they do not know him, so we are still investigating where he could be,” he said.

Bhamusi is suspected to be hiding at a house in new Mabvuku where some people are believed to be harbouring the fugitive.

Ms Metrina Fred, who is the mother of the victim, gave the address of a house where Bhamusi is believed to be hiding, but police could not locate him there.

“These people are hiding. The landlord is the one who is protecting Bhamusi. She also denied me entry when l approached their house and quickly dismissed me but she knows everything and the police should help me.

“I want my child back and Bhamusi should be jailed,” said Mrs Fred.

She said her daughter was texting messages to her sister saying they no longer answer knocks ,so they were locking themselves inside to hide from police.

Bhamusi allegedly started abusing the child when she was 11 and the matter was reported to Ruwa Police Station, resulting in his arrest.

He later appeared in court and was granted bail, but allegedly continued co-habiting with the minor.

Ms Fred said her daughter, who is supposed to be in Form 1 this year, initially got pregnant by a different man when she was just 10 years-old. The pregnancy was terminated because the girl was not in a position to deliver the baby in a safe way.

According to Ms Fred, Bhamusi is the second man her daughter has stayed with.

The teenage girl is said to be now heavily pregnant.

Ms Fred narrated how she used to take her minor child home several times, but she would go back and live with Bhamusi.

She said organisations like Musasa Project played a pivotal role in counselling her daughter and sheltering her but all these efforts were fruitless. The Herald