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*(🌕) Gokwe man rapes 6 primary school girls*
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The High Court has denied bail to a Gokwe man accused of raping six primary school girls in a single incident, describing the case as involving "young, vulnerable children" whose safety and testimony would be at risk if he is released.
Chinhoyi High Court judge Justice Philda Muzofa refused an application for bail by the accused (name disclosed), who is facing six counts of rape involving complainants aged between seven and nine.
The allegations centre on an incident in June 2025 when the children, pupils at a named Primary School were allegedly lured and abused in one sequence.
According to the State, the girls were on their way to school and stopped at the accused's homestead to ask for water.
"Instead of giving them water he asked the complainants to accompany him to his sorghum field... At the field he then raped each complainant and threatened them not to tell anyone," the court heard.
The case remained hidden for months until one of the victims disclosed the abuse to her aunt in November, prompting the others to come forward.
Medical examinations were later conducted at Gokwe Hospital, leading to his arrest.
In refusing bail, Muzofa said the gravity of the allegations and the vulnerability of the victims outweighed the accused's personal circumstances, including his age and health.
"This is a rape case of six young children who stayed in the same village with the applicant. His advanced age seems to pale into dimness if juxtaposed with the offence and the victims," she ruled.
The accused had argued that he was not a flight risk and offered to relocate to avoid contact with witnesses. He maintained his innocence and denied the charges.
However, the court found that living in the same community posed a serious risk to the integrity of the case.
"The complainants are young, vulnerable children... His release, even without any communication with the complainants is likely to affect the complainants. Children are highly impressionable," Muzofa said.
The judge noted that the accused was well known to the children, who regularly passed through his homestead, suggesting a level of familiarity and trust.
"It is also not in dispute that they live in the same village. There was obviously some relationship and some trust between the applicant and the complainants," she said.
The State, represented by R. Nikisi, opposed bail, arguing that the accused could interfere with witnesses directly or indirectly, particularly given their proximity and age.
The court agreed, stressing that bail decisions must protect not only the accused's rights but also the administration of justice.
"With that information, it is the Court's considered view that the vulnerable witnesses' evidence can only be safeguarded by keeping the applicant in custody pending trial," the judge ruled.
The judgment also clarified that in serious offences such as rape, which fall under the Third Schedule of the Criminal Procedure and Evidence Act, the burden is on the accused to justify release.
*_-NewZimbabwe_*
