AN EX-POLICEMAN, who allegedly raped his brother’s daughter on numerous occasions in his wife’s absence threatening to shoot her if she ever revealed the crime, was yesterday granted $100 bail.
SILAS NKALA STAFF REPORTER
The 44-year-old ex-cop, who could not be named to protect the identity of the rape victim, was granted bail by Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa who remanded the case to May 2.
The same magistrate initially denied the accused bail last month saying the ex-cop was likely to interfere with State witnesses. The court heard that the complainant is now 26 years old and stays in Mkoba, Gweru.
The State said towards end of 2000, the ex-cop asked to take the girl in after she had collected her Grade 7 results indicating that he wanted to pay her secondary school fees since the mother was a widow and was struggling to raise money.
The ex-cop was still serving and resided at Ross Camp with his wife and daughter.
He allegedly took the girl in and enrolled her for Form 1 at Northlea High School in 2001.
The girl was sent back home at the beginning of the term for non-payment of fees and found her uncle alone as his wife had gone to work and the daughter was at school.
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Her allegedly called her to his bedroom and asked her if she was able to keep secrets and she responded in the affirmative.
It is alleged that he promised to pay her fees and buy her uniforms if she kept the secrets.
He went on to rape her on several occasions and the offence only came to light in 2006 when the girl fell in love with a boy and they became intimate.
The boyfriend asked why she was not a virgin and she related her ordeal to him. The girl later fell pregnant and the matter was discussed by family members and that was when the rape was also exposed.
In February this year, she heard a programme about sexual abuse on Radio Zimbabwe and that was when she had the guts to report the matter to the police, leading to her uncle’s arrest.
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