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MASHAVA – A 55-year-old man from Bere in Mashava is appearing in court on allegations that he has been raping his six-year-old step daughter from 2012 to 2016.

The girl gave a harrowing story to Masvingo Magistrate Bishard Chineka yesterday in which she says she was allegedly raped by Emmanuel Simango.

The Mirror attended the court case where the minor spoke from a different room and could be seen in the courtroom through a television.

Speaking from the room, the complainant said for example one day Simango came to her bedroom while she was in Grade 3 and ordered her to remove her morning gown. He penetrated her thereby breaking the little girl’s virginity and she bled profusely.

Her mother took her to a private doctor and she was instructed to take the child to hospital but she didn’t. The complainant suspects that her mother who is now late was in complicit with the accused

The girl also told the court that Simango once raped her on her mother’s bed and the mother actually saw the blood stains on the bed but ignored the issue.

Liberty Hove prosecuted.

The matter came to light after the death of the minor’s mother in 2016.

She was taken by her aunt Charity Manyame to Harare. Manyame took the complainant and her daughter for initiation (of enlarging girls clitoris) as per their culture and she was shocked to realise that the minor was deflowered. She quizzed the complainant who divulged the whole story.

The case was reported at Mabelreign Police Station and in May the suspect was arrested by Mashava Police.