Online Reporter
A 14-year-old girl was drugged and repeatedly raped by four men in Harare in October 2024, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) has said.
The case, recently heard at the Harare Magistrates’ Court, resulted in one conviction and three acquittals, a decision that the NPAZ is challenging.
According to a statement by NPAZ, the victim, a Form 2 learner, left her home on the evening of October 20 after being reprimanded by her mother.
She was then lured to the residence of the first accused, a 30-year-old man, under the pretence of being offered accommodation for the night.
Upon arrival, she encountered three other men, aged 30, 34 and 36.
“The four of them threatened her with a knife, beat her with a hose pipe and spiked her drink with an unknown substance, which rendered her unconscious,” the NPAZ statement reads.
“While she was unconscious, the four men took turns to sexually assault her.”
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The following morning, the victim awoke at the first accused’s house experiencing pain and with visible evidence of the sexual assault.
She later told her aunt about her ordeal, who assisted her in reporting the incident to the police.
A medical examination confirmed the assault.
The first accused was found guilty of rape and was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
However, his three accomplices were acquitted at the close of the State’s case, a decision that the NPAZ intends to appeal.
“The NPAZ is considering appealing the acquittal in respect of the three accomplices,” it said.
