9-year-old exposes sister’s three-year sexual abuse by co-tenant

Fungai Lupande Mashonaland Central Bureau

A nine-year-old star witness who walked in on her 12-year-old sister being sexually abused by a 47-year-old co-tenant, exposed a three-year abuse.

Giving her testimony on camera in the victim-friendly-court, the minor said they were playing when her sister vanished and she started looking for her.

“I looked for her in the bathroom and toilet and I did not find her. I then pushed open the neighbour’s bedroom and it opened because it was not locked,” she told the court.

“The man (Anyway Mapfumo), who was wearing a black t-shirt and naked from the waist down, was laying on top of my sister who was naked. He got up and rushed to close the door.

“I then asked if my sister was inside and the man denied but I had seen them. I then went and told my mother what I had seen.”

Upon being quizzed the court heard that the 12-year-old revealed that the man started sexually abusing her when she was nine-years-old.

Mapfumo is facing rape charges and he pleaded not guilty when he appeared before Bindura Magistrate Mr Shingirai Mutiro.

In his defence, Mapfumo accused the minor of lying and said the family was once co-tenants at their house.

He said charges against him are malicious and were cooked after the complaint family was evicted.

The prosecutor Mr Edward Katsvairo said on September 14, last year Mapfumo sent the 12-year-old to collect bathing soap and petroleum jelly from his mother-in-law.

He wanted to take a bath and the minor complied.

The court heard that after returning with the items, she went to play.

It is alleged that after he finished bathing, Mapfumo called the minor into his room and closed the door where he raped her once.

The court heard that after the sexual abuse, Mapfumo made the minor to hide behind the door and to put on her clothes.

The matter came to light when he was seen by the younger sister who went to inform the mother.

A police report was filed and the minor was sent to Bindura Hospital for medical examination.

The matter was postponed to February 1.

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