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Fungai Lupande : Court Reporter

A teenage girl’s diary in which she wrote how thankful she was for not falling pregnant has exposed sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of her brother since the age of five.The 14-year-old’s diary was found by her sister-in-law. It is alleged that sometime in 2007 when the complainant was five years old, she was herding cattle with her 17-year-old brother in their rural home.

The brother told her that he wanted to tell her a story and whatever was going to happen was to remain a secret between them. It is alleged he went on to cut small branches of tree and spread them on the ground and asked her sister to lie down.

He raped her while covering her eyes with his hands. The court heard that in 2011, when the complainant was in Grade 3, she went for holiday in Chirumhanzu, where she met her brother. At around 6pm, their grandmother asked the siblings to consign her turkeys into the fowl run.

On their way, the brother grabbed the sister by her neck and she fell down.

He tried to rape her but their grandmother started calling them asking about the turkeys. Two years later, the complainant was invited for Christmas at her elder brother’s farm. The accused was also there.

On Christmas Day, he started vomiting after drinking beer. It is alleged his sister started helping him get to his bedroom and he gave her a dollar. He allegedly locked the door and raped her. After the holiday, they went to their respective homes.

Sometime in October this year, the complainant’s sister-in-law saw her diary. In the diary, the complainant wrote that she was thankful to God that she was not pregnant. The sister-in-law took the diary and asked what she meant.

The complainant said she knew nothing, prompting the sister-in-law to tell her husband. He threatened to beat her and she narrated how her brother had sexually assaulted her over the years.

They went to report the matter to the police and she was sent for medical examination. The brother (26) appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Bianca Makwande last Friday facing rape charges. He was remanded in custody to November 10.