By Ziyah News Court Reporter
A 26 year old man has been slapped with a 20 year prison term for raping an unsuspecting 17 year old jobseeker .The suspect was arraigned before the Western Commonage Magistrates’ Court in Bulawayo facing three counts of rape three counts of rape.
According the National Prosecuting Authority, (NPA), sometime in March 2024 the 17 year old victim sent a message looking for a job on a WhatsApp group. On the 1st of May 2024 she received a message from the accused person purporting that his grandmother in Cowdray Park, Bulawayo was in need of a house helper.
The complainant then proceeded to Bulawayo from Plumtree on the 5th of May 2024 where she met the accused person who was in the company of two friends. The accused person took the complainant to a beer garden before taking her to Mpopoma, where he resided. He promised to take her to Cowdray Park the following morning.
When the complainant went to sleep the accused person got into the room where she was sleeping and joined her in the blankets. He forcibly removed her clothes before raping her twice the same night and once in the morning. The matter came to light when the complainant made a Police report leading to the arrest of the accused person.