A Beatrice couple has been arraigned before the Chivhu magistrates’ court facing rape charges.
The duo (names withheld to protect the minor) were arrested on January 23 and later granted bail at the Chivhu magistrates’ court. The matter was then referred to the High Court.
The complainant is a 16-year-old female juvenile.
Allegations are that on December 11, 2022, in Beatrice, the accused persons called the complainant and took her to their house. They told her that someone will come to her and she must comply with whatever he wanted her to do, then they left. The duo did not disclose the name of the visitor.
It was further alleged that the male accused later returned and sat beside her on the same sofa. The complainant greeted him and he told her that she was now his wife. The accused started to caress the complainant and she stopped him. He then began communicating with some unknown person on his mobile phone.
He then stood up and went to his bedroom, came back and dragged the complainant into the bedroom and pushed her onto the bed. He held her hands with his right hand and removed her underwear and raped her without protection.
After the rape, he put on his clothes and left.
On the same day the complainant told a female (name withheld) about the issue, who then told the complainant’s mother. The matter was then reported to the police.
In other news – Government urges citizens to be vaccinated as Covid-19 cases rise
The government has reiterated its call for people to get vaccinated against COVID-19 amid a rise in new coronavirus infections.
New coronavirus infections more than doubled from 809 cases recorded in December 2022 to the current 1 923, with 17 people having succumbed to the disease in January this year.Learn More
