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Victor Maphosa-Mashonaland East Bureau

 An eight-year-old girl from Macheke has exposed a case of shocking child sexual abuse after detailing in court how a neighbour and three close family members, who include her father and brother, took turns to rape her with her mother ignoring her pleas for help.

The girl revealed this under cross examination when her parents appeared at the Marondera Magistrates Court this week where they were facing charges of sexually abusing their two children, the girl and a boy aged 11.

It also emerged in court that the boy was also abused by his mother and what’s more, he in turn also raped the hapless eight-year-old girl, his biological sister!

The two minor children revealed the abuse to their aunt after they were caught engaging in a sexual act by the aunt, the mother’s elder sister whom they had visited in Mutoko.

The boy was first to be cross examined and he told the court that his mother sexually abused him four times.

“My mother called me into her bedroom where she was sleeping and told me to remove my clothes. She forced herself on me.

“When that was happening, she was covering my face with a T-shirt. All this happened when there was no one at home,” he said.

Asked how the matter came to light, the boy said it was after they had gone to Mutoko to visit their aunt, their mother’s elder sister, who caught them performing sexual acts. 

The aunt then observed that the girl was walking with difficulties.

“My aunt asked why my sister was limping and she told her that our father had raped her. My uncle (the aunt’s husband) later asked me about it and that is when I revealed that I was also sexually abused by my mother in Macheke.”

As the trial proceeded, the eight-year-old girl went on to reveal that besides her father, three more people raped her.

“Yes, my father raped me four times in his bedroom. When he first raped me, I felt some pain and I bled,” she said.

“I told my mother and she said to me ‘I do not want to hear that nonsense.’ I was also raped by Malvin (a neighbour and age not given). Malvin raped me once and I told my mother who assaulted me.

“The following day, my mother sent us to Mutoko to her elder sister. In Mutoko, I was raped by Tanaka. He raped me three times. Tanaka is the son to my aunt. When I told my aunt about it, she said, “I do not want to hear about that.”

The court proceedings had to take a break after the girl emotionally broke down and wept uncontrollably.

When the court proceedings resumed, the girl, who had regained her composure, revealed that even her 11-year-old brother had also raped her.

Asked why she had not revealed that Tanaka and others had also raped her, and if her aunt had influenced her not to reveal that her son had raped her, the girl said the aunt had indeed influenced her not to reveal Tanaka’s alleged shenanigans.

She also maintained that her biological father had raped her.

The couple pleaded not guilty to sexual abuse charges when they appeared before Marondera Magistrate Mr Ignatious Mhene.

The father (aged 41) is facing rape charges while the mother is facing aggravated indecent assault charges.

Their lawyer Mr Chido Kavhumbura, said the charges were fabricated and accused the aunt of influencing the children to incriminate their parents.

Mr Kavhumbura said the aunt was trying to conceal the sexual abuse which could have happened when the girl was staying with her in Mutoko.