A 27-year-old man from Lupane appeared before the Hwange Magistrates’ Court facing charges of unlawfully entering a property and subsequently raping a 38-year-old woman who is mentally challenged, blind, deaf, and cannot speak.
The brief facts of the case as outlined by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) are as follows:
On the 24th of June 2024, at around 2000 hours, the complainant who is blind, mentally challenged, and cannot hear or speak, retired to bed with her mother.
Just before going to bed, the complainant went to the toilet, came back, and closed the door, securing it with a stool.
A short while later, the accused person forcibly entered the bedroom hut where the complainant and her mother were sleeping. The complainant’s mother assumed it was her daughter returning.
The complainant’s brother arrived a while later to check on his family. When he entered the room he shone a torch and noticed the accused person in the complainant’s blankets.
The accused person emerged from the blankets, wearing only boxer shorts. A desperate struggle ensued and the accused person was finally overpowered and arrested.
Upon further examination, it was discovered that the complainant had been raped. She was found naked, with semen on her private parts.
The accused person was sentenced to 24 months imprisonment for unlawful entry and 20 years imprisonment for rape. He will serve 22 years effectively.
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