A suspected rapist who targetted young girls in Glen View and Budiriro suburbs in Harare was arrested by police on Tuesday morning, reported The Herald.
The suspect allegedly broke into houses and raped 16 girls in the two suburbs since September last year.
Fourteen of the alleged rape cases occurred in Glen View while the other two occurred in Budiriro.
His arrest comes after police in Harare recently warned residents that there was a serial rapist on the loose in these suburbs.
The suspect whose name is still being withheld was arrested on Tuesday, 14 January 2023 at Churu Farm, near Glen View 1.
He is believed to have raped girls aged between seven and 14 years.
In a statement last week, ZRP spokesperson for Harare Province, Inspector Luckmore Chakanza, said police had received five similar rape cases which were reported. He was quoted as saying:
Police have noted with concern the number of rape cases involving a man targeting minor children for the past month.
The similarities of the cases in how the perpetrator breaks into houses and rapes minor children shows that it’s the same person.
In the latest five cases recorded, the perpetrator broke into houses, threatened the girls and asked if they had engaged in any sexual activities before. If the girls said no, he would rape them and then flee.