Spiritual overnight house call ends in rape

Michael Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

A 'spiritualist', Tobias Dospani, 40, is facing rape charges after he allegedly raped a woman who had invited him to her house for spiritual assistance.

The State alleges that on July 14, 2024, the complainant and her sister went to Dospani's shrine, in Kuwadzana to seeking spiritual assistance.

Dospani reportedly conducted prayers for them and they made an appointment for Dospani to proceed to the complainants' place and do more prayers.

Later in the evening, Dospani called the complainant and told her that he had arrived at Makomo bus stop. The complainant and her sister went to take Dospani and took him to the complainant's house.

"When they arrived at the complainant's house, they conducted a prayer, and Dospani said they were supposed to conduct another prayer at around midnight.

"The complainant then told Dospani that she used only one room and he insisted that there was a need to conduct that prayer.

"The complainant then gave Dospani a place to sleep on her bed and she herself slept on the floor and complainant's sister went back to her house.

"At around midnight, the complainant woke up Dospani and they conducted a prayer and returned back to sleep on their respective positions.

“An hour later, Dospani said to the complainant: ”Madzimai imbondipaiwo mbijana, tombosiya zvemweya toita zvenyama" translating to "Can we leave spiritual things a bit and satisfy our bodies," and the complainant refused his request.

"Dospani jumped from the bed to where the complainant was sleeping and started fondling complainant's breast," the court heard.

The complainant tried to stop him but he became aggressive and forcibly removed the complainant's pant and trousers at the same time and raped her.

The complainant pushed Dospani and locked the door. She called her sister and she came whilst Dospani was still inside.

The complainant then told her sister what had happened. The accused ran away when the sister opened the door.

He was later arrested at his shrine in Kuwadzana.

Dospani was charged with rape and remanded in custody.