Melody Baya Court Reporter
A GRANDMOTHER allegedly swept her 18-year-old step granddaughter’s rape under the carpet saying she led her uncle to abuse her through improper dressing. The teen, whose name cannot be disclosed for legal reasons, was allegedly raped by her step uncle, Manoashe Maringosi, 24, of Bulawayo’s Nketa suburb, on three occasions in 2014.

The teen, in a statement she submitted to the police, said she reported the abuse to her grandmother, whose name cannot be disclosed to protect the identity of the victim, who said it was her fault she had been raped.

“I told my step grandmother about the rape incident and she told me that I was the one who lured my uncle to rape me. I never told anyone about the other rape incidents after that because she told me not to continue talking about it,” said the teen.

The matter came to light after the teen moved in with another uncle, who decided to report the matter to the police last month. Maringosi, who was not asked to plead, appeared before magistrate Abednico Ndebele and was remanded in custody to yesterday.

The girl’s biological father and stepmother are said to be based in South Africa. Prosecuting, Steward Madzore told the court that sometime in June 2014, the teen was staying with her grandmother and Maringosi.

“On an unknown date the accused proposed love to the complainant who turned him down. On the following day the accused approached the complainant in the bathroom and told her that he loved her and started fondling her breasts and pushed her to the floor. He had sexual intercourse with her without her consent,” said Madzore.

It is further alleged that sometime in July 2014, the teen was left home with her step uncle who raped her again.

“Sometime in July 2014 the complainant was left by her step grandmother to clean the house after she left to cultivate her fields. The accused approached the complainant who was in the sitting room and locked the main door. He forcibly took the complainant to his bedroom where he had sexual intercourse with her once without her consent,’ said the prosecutor.

Maringosi is alleged to have raped the teen for the third time sometime in September 2014.

“On an unknown date around midnight, the accused person came home and found the complainant sleeping in the sitting room. He covered the complainant’s mouth with a sofa cushion and raped her,” said Madzore.

He said the girl was referred to hospital for a medical examination and a medical report can be produced in court as an exhibit.

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