The Sunday News
Ethel Ncube
POLICE have taken into custody the father of the nine-year-old girl who is eight months pregnant to help with police investigations on circumstances leading to her falling pregnant.
Sources revealed to our sister paper, Umthunywa that the father of the child is in police custody to assist with investigations.
National Police Spokesperson Assistant Commissioner Paul Nyathi confirmed the developments as the investigations into the alleged rape gather pace.
According to the Constitution of Zimbabwe the age of consent is pegged at 18.
“The father of the nine-year-old who is pregnant at the United Bulawayo Hospitals is in police custody assisting in the investigations of this issue. As police we are engrossed with this issue so that we get evidence on the perpetrator of the alleged rape,” said Asst Comm Nyathi.
Umthunywa spoke to the Chief of the area where the child comes from, Chief Gampu who said the police decided to take the father of the child as the victim is unable to reveal the perpetrator of the offence in her state.
“As the leader of this community I’m really worried about what happened to this child as she’s too young to become a parent. Measures have been taken to get the child to open up about who exactly sexually harassed her but she’s not revealing anything to show that she was intimidated by perpetrator not to say anything.
“The pregnancy was revealed after she was taken to Tsholotsho Hospital as she was complaining about stomach pain. The doctor examined her only to find out she was pregnant. From the hospital they came to inform me about the jaw dropping incident when I told them the issue was a police case. For now, the father of the child is with police helping with investigations,” said Chief Gampu.
According to a source the family had called church members for them to pray and those who are spiritually gifted (prophets) who can prophesy to reveal the perpetrator and for them to say what exactly transpired as the minor is failing to voice up.
If this does not work out the family took a decision that after childbirth DNA tests will be done to determine the perpetrator.
“Family members realised that the only way to get the truth would be to gather each and every male’s DNA samples who once stayed with the family and neighbours so as to determine the perpetrator,” said the source.
