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Boitumelo Makhurane, Court Reporter
A 61-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man has appeared in court for allegedly raping his friend’s five-year-old child.

The man is from Buena Vista suburb.

He was not asked to plead to charges of rape when he appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Linear Khumalo who remanded him to September 16.

The court heard that the accused person is a friend to the complainant’s father.

Appearing for the State Mr Dominic Moyo said that the minor’s mother left her and her 2-year-old brother at the accused person’s house where they were supposed to sleep.

The accused violated the trust which was bestowed on him and slept with the girl.

The minor is not being named to protect her identity.

“On a date not known to the prosecutor but this year the complainant’s mother left the complainant and her two-year-old brother at the accused’s house. In the evening they all slept in the same room sharing the same blankets together with her young brother,” she said.

The accused person asked the young girl to undress then raped her.

The court heard that sometime in June this year, the young girl and her brother were taken by their aunt who stayed with them.

“On August 11 this year around 9AM the young girl started to complain about having pain when urinating, she was then questioned by her aunt and she revealed what the accused had done to her,” said the prosecutor.

The matter was reported to police and the man was arrested.

According to the police, most children are raped by people who are close to them, including relatives and friends to their families. Parents have also been urged not to leave the girl child in the company of males only and not to sweep any cases under the carpet.