Story by Fungai Jachi, Courts Reporter
CHILD sexual exploitation remains one of the greatest forms of gender-based violence that girls face with the latest case being of a 13-year-old from Harare who was sexually violated by a man who had offered her help early this month.
While thinking she was escaping from her stepmother who allegedly physically and emotionally abused her, a 13-year-old girl was met by an even greater form of abuse when she was sexually exploited by a man who offered her help.
It is alleged that the girl who was walking from Chitungwiza to her biological mother’s house in Amsterdam met the accused person along the way on 2 December.
It is further alleged that 23-year-old Tafadzwa Muchechemera then offered to help the girl with transport money but asked her to accompany him home to get the money.
The child allegedly followed Muchechemera home where he allegedly raped her twice before chasing her back on the street.
The girl was stopped by a concerned woman who noticed that there was something wrong as she was having difficulties walking and had blood-stained clothes.
She narrated her ordeal to the woman who then escorted her to the police to file a report leading to the arrest of the accused person.
Meanwhile, in another case, a 19-year-old housemaid was allegedly drugged by her employer before he raped her several times.
Blessed Kunje allegedly abused his maid on several occasions while detaining her in his house.
It is alleged that he would not allow her to go outside fearing that she would tell people of the abuse.
However, one day she managed to escape and alerted a neighbour of the abuse.
The matter was reported to the police leading to his arrest.
The suspects in the two cases appeared at the Harare Magistrates Court this Friday and were remanded in custody.
