An 18-year-old man from Nkulumane, Bulawayo, has been arrested on allegations of raping his 10-year-old Grade 4 niece.
The rape occurred in 2019, NewsDay reported citing Bulawayo acting police spokesperson Assistant Inspector Nomalanga Msebele. Confirming the arrest, Msebele said:
A 10-year-old female juvenile was raped by her uncle. On November 18, the mother of the juvenile caught her daughter with her brother who is seven years old engaged in a sexual act. The mother then asked where the daughter learnt what she was doing with her little brother. She revealed that she usually did it with her uncle.
The child said that sometime in 2019, the accused person visited and raped her.
She also said in 2021, on an unknown date, she visited her grandfather in Pumula South where her uncle stayed and was abused again.
On November 19, the victim’s mother made a report to the police, leading to the arrest of the suspect.
This comes as a nine-year-old girl from Tsholotsho recently gave birth through caesarean section at the United Bulawayo Hospital (UBH). Her father was arrested in connection with the case.
In another case, another 9-year-old girl fell pregnant in Bindura after she was raped by two 17-year-olds. The alleged rapists have since been arrested.