Identical minors' rape cases in the same court in ...

Identical minors' rape cases in the same court in a single day

A special court for exclusive trial of POCSO cases convicted and sentenced a 45-year-old man to life imprisonment on a charge that he tried to rape his minor daughter. — Representational Image/DC

Michael Mashiri

The Harare Magistrates’ Courts Saturday, January 7, dealt with two cases of suspects having sexual intercourse with minors. Both victims are aged 13.

In the first case, a 27 year-old man from Vainona, Richard Hodzi, violated Section 65 (1) of the Criminal Law Codification and Reform Act, Chapter 9:23 by raping a minor.

The matter came to light on January 4 at around 1200hrs when he was intercepted by the victim’s mother while sexually abusing her daughter.

It is the state’s case that the minor met Hodzi on her way from the bin where she had gone to deposit litter. Hodzi followed her and without consent started caressing her thighs. He then dragged her to the walls of the house, pulled out his private parts and forced himself onto the minor.

The mother of the complainant came out of the house unsuspectingly and met the shock of her life as she saw Hodzi sexually abusing her daughter.

It was later discovered that Hodzi had on several occasions had sexual intercourse with the complainant. The accused was remanded in custody and will appear in court again on January 16.

In a related matter a Crowhill man raped his sister's friend, who is also a minor, when she had come to his house to play with his sister. The accused in this case is Herman Ruvengo, aged 20.

On September 5, 2022, around 1430hrs as the complainant and Ruvengo’s sister were playing on the balcony, the sister went downstairs leaving the complainant alone.

After ten minutes Ruvengo approached the complainant and told her that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her, but she refused. He then forcibly took the complainant's right hand and dragged her into a nearby bedroom, with the other hand closing her mouth.

In the room he used the other hand to unzip his trousers and pushed the complainant on the mattress and wrapped her head and face with a blanket. Ruvengo allegedly pulled down her skirt and pants and had sexual intercourse without her consent and without protection.

After committing the crime, he ordered the complainant not to tell anyone and left the room.

The matter come to light when the complainant was indecently assaulted at school and she told her grandmother about the early abuse, leading to Ruvengo’s arrest. He was ordered to pay ZWL 40 000 bail, not to interfere with witnesses and to continue residing at the given address until the matter is finalised.