Mother Feels Betrayed As Alleged Sex Offender Is Released Back Into The Community

A woman from St Elizabeth in Insuza, whose six-year-old daughter survived sexual assault after she found the offender just about to rape her, said that her daughter’s life is at risk as the alleged perpetrator was released without rehabilitation.

The mother alleges she caught the 16-year-old offender, who was a herd boy, in the act of trying to rape her daughter but no one believes her. She told CITE:

I was outside the house answering my call as usual, when my phone rings l always go out to answer because they will be making noise. I found him on top of my child.

The thing that hurts is that his relatives are defending him saying that the child must be lying but l saw him with my own eyes.

The mother said she reported the alleged offender to the police, who asked her to bring the daughter for their investigations.

The police later detained the teenager and advised the mother to take the kid to the hospital. She said:

I took my child to the hospital and they checked whether she was HIV positive or not and it was found that she was not.

We were also referred to St Luke’s Hospital where she was checked thoroughly and they said the boy attempted to rape her but he didn’t break her. We were given a written note.

She said the police referred them to the Tredgold Magistrates’ Court in Bulawayo where they were referred back to Insuza.

The mother said that she feels betrayed by members of her family and other community members who are refusing to believe her. She said:

We are in pain because we found the perpetrator outside bars, and when l asked one of the police officers at Insuza he said the boy is underage and the hospital report is the one that will determine whether to arrest him or not.

There might be a possibility that the perpetrator might wait for her on her way to school and rape her.