59-year-old man was arrested last week in Hope Fountain for allegedly raping a one-year-old baby girl.
In a statement, the spokesperson for the Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) in Bulawayo Province, Inspector Abednico Ncube confirmed the arrest of Phathisani Thebe of Banda homestead in Hope Fountain on 24 January 2024 in the morning.
Insp Ncube said the victim’s mother returned from town after doing some work and she found her child crying.As she was changing her nappies, she found semen on the baby’s private parts. Said Insp Ncube:
Inquiries were made with the sister (14) who stated that the suspect usually comes to help them in the homestead, he came and took the baby for 30 minutes before bringing her back.Thebe was apprehended by police after a case was opened at Hillside Police Station.
Although the motive for the heinous crime has not been established, reports indicate that there are men who rape children for ritual purposes.
Early this year, a 16-year-old girl from Beitbridge claimed that her father raped her several times for ritual purposes.
The teenager told a magistrate that when she informed her stepmother about the abuse, she said it was a ritual so that he would have money.
