The Sunday News
Midlands Correspondent
A POLICE officer based at Mataga growth point in Mberengwa has been hauled before the courts after he allegedly raped a juvenile while she was in police holding cells before forcing her to marry him in a bid to conceal the heinous act.Kudzai Gwenhamo, whose age was not given, pleaded not guilty to rape when he appeared before Mberengwa magistrate Mr Christopher Maturure last week
He was remanded out of custody to 8 September on $100 bail.
The State’s case was that sometime in February, Gwenhamo seized the opportunity when the 15-year-old girl, whose parents are late, was detained by a police special constabulary after she fled home where she was staying with her paternal grandparents.
The girl allegedly fled home to seek menial jobs in surrounding villages.
Her grandparents reported her missing to the police resulting in a police special constabulary tracking her down and handing her over to Mataga police where she was kept for the night so that she would be returned home.
It was during the night that Gwenhamo, who was on duty, handcuffed the girl and raped her once before threatening her with unspecified action.
However, the matter came to light when the girl reported the matter to the police resulting in Gwenhamo being arrested.
Gwenhamo, after conniving with five other police officers, went on to force the girl to withdraw the case, alleging that she had made a false report so that he would be released from custody.
It is alleged that Gwenhamo forcibly married the girl after conniving with her guardians, whom he allegedly paid an undisclosed amount of money.
The girl was then arrested for making a false report and appeared before the court but later disclosed that she had been forced to withdraw the matter by Gwenhamo and her guardians.
The girl, who is now staying with Gwenhamo, also disclosed that the accused had been physically abusing her and had impregnated another schoolgirl whom they were now staying with.
She said her grandparents had refused to take her back.
Ms Wadzanai Shayanowako appeared for the State.
