Boyfriend, 23, arrested for raping girlfriend, 16

Munyaradzi Mashiri

Zim Now Court Correspondent

A 23-year-old man has been arrested for raping his 16-year-old girlfriend.

The accused, of Hatcliffe Cooperative Harare, appeared before magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa at the Harare Magistrates' Courts facing rape allegations.

The State, through prosecutor Mercy Masamvi, alleges that sometime in August 2024, Sithole proposed love to the complainant and she accepted.

In the first week of September, Sithole went to the complainant's house, entered into the complainant's room and started caressing the complainant's breast and then pulled the complainant's dress upwards, pushed her pant aside and had sexual intercourse with her once with protection but without her consent.

After that, Sithole got dressed and went away but the love affair continued.

On September 20, Sithole went to complainant's place of residence.

He entered the complainant's room, fondled complainant's breast and caressed her whole body and pulled up complainant's dress and she restrained him by touching his hand but he pushed the complainant's hands away and he removed his trousers.

It is alleged that Sithole then pushed the complainant on to the bed and raped her without her consent and without any protection.

After the act complainant pulled down her dress and they remained in the blankets.

The matter came to light when the complainant and Sithole were caught in the complainant's room with her mother and the complainant ran away and later explained what had transpired and the sexual assault.

He was ordered to appear in court on October 8, 2024.