Father accused of raping deaf, dumb daughter (12)

From: Harare Herald - Jan 26, 2004

Herald Reporter

A DOOR that could not be unlocked betrayed a Chitungwiza father after it was discovered that he had allegedly been raping his deaf and dumb 12-year-old daughter.

The 44-year-old father was last week brought to the Chitungwiza magistrates' courts to answer to rape charges.

He was not asked to plead when he appeared before magistrate Mr Walter Bherebhende and was remanded in custody to February 10 this year.

Outlining the State case, prosecutor Mr Nyambo Viera said the incident occurred on January 8 this year after the man called his deaf and dumb daughter to his bedroom at a house in Unit N, Seke, Chitungwiza.

Mr Viera said after calling the girl, the man locked her in his bedroom but her aunt who always kept a close eye started looking for her.

The man allegedly raped her once while the aunt was looking for her, but failed to unlock the door when he had finished.

The aunt later heard the father struggling to unlock his bedroom door and she asked him whether he had seen his daughter, but he did not respond.

The prosecutor said at that juncture, the aunt thought the girl might have locked herself in his father's bedroom and she went around the house and peeped through the window.

She allegedly saw the girl lying helplessly on her father's bed while the man struggled with the door.

The aunt allegedly went back to the door and asked the man to give her the keys so that she could unlock the door from outside. Upon receiving the keys, the aunt allegedly went to the police and reported the case without opening the door and the man was arrested.

The girl was referred to hospital for a medical examination and a doctor's report confirmed that the girl had been sexually abused.

© Copyright of Zimbabwe Newspapers (1980) Limited 2001.