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Victor Maphosa Herald Reporter
A 67-YEAR-OLD Harare man who allegedly raped a teenager will stand trial next Wednesday after he denied the charges.

The victim is a 16-year-old girl. The grandpa appeared before Harare magistrate Ms Josephine Sande on Monday. Allegations are that on August 21 at around 11am, the girl heard a knock on her bedroom door.

It is alleged that she went on to open the door, but did not see the visitor. She went back to sleep, leaving the door unlocked and after a few minutes, the suspect entered her bedroom. He allegedly held her by the neck and forcibly undressed her. The teenager fought back, but was overpowered and raped. The court heard that the teenager’s bed was broken as she struggled to escape the attack. After violating the girl, the grandpa allegedly threatened her if she ever alerted anyone about the abuse.

He also allegedly gave the girl a mobile phone and promised her money to buy her silence. The offence came to light when a neighbour’s child, who had witnessed the teenager’s abuse alerted the victim’s grandmother. The grandmother investigated the matter and discovered that the teenager had been given a mobile phone. The girl later confessed to the abuse and the grandmother reported the matter to the police.