A Manyame Park family endured an hour of terror after armed robbers broke into their house and sexually abused the mother and her daughter before getting away with $10,000 and R50,000 in cash, a court heard on Wednesday.
Claudius Mapolisa, 40, Lovemore Chisango, 48, Tirivamwe Shoko, 39, Tendai Maravanyika, 52, and Ignatius Huchu, 48, have been arrested over the crimes. Four other men are still on the run.
The four men appeared before Harare magistrate Milton Serima facing robbery and rape charges.
They were ordered to apply for bail at the High Court.
Sebastin Mutizirwa, for the prosecution, said on August 5 this year around 2AM, the gang – armed with rifles and an assortment of weapons – raided the house in Manyame Park.
The family – who cannot be named to protect the identity of the rape victims – were asleep in their bedrooms.
The gang proceeded to the main bedroom where a man of Indian extraction was sleeping with his wife, a local.
The suspects confronted the pair and demanded cash while threatening to shoot them.
One of the suspects suddenly attacked the man with a hammer before they tied him with electric cables.
It is alleged one of the suspects then undressed the woman before he shoved his hands into her privates threatening to rape her at the same time.
They then ransacked the house and stole $10,000 in bond notes and R50,000 in cash.
It is alleged they also stole cellphones drivers’ licences of the couple as well as a Tanzanian passport belonging to the man.
Two remained guarding the couple while others proceeded to the other bedroom two teenagers aged 16 and 19, and their elder sister aged 20, were sleeping.
One of the suspects dragged the 20-year-old to the kitchen where he raped her once without using protection.
They then stole the children’s cellphones before demanding more money.
One of the girls lied that she had money in her car which was parked at the car park. The suspects then force marched the family out of their house intending to go to the car park.
However, when they got out of the house, the family triggered the alarm prompting the robbers to run away.
Total value of goods stolen was $17,626 and nothing was recovered.
They will be back in court on August 21 pending their trial.- ZimLive
The four men appeared before Harare magistrate Milton Serima facing robbery and rape charges.
They were ordered to apply for bail at the High Court.
Mum, Daughter Raped In Chitungwiza In A $17 000 Home Robbery |
The family – who cannot be named to protect the identity of the rape victims – were asleep in their bedrooms.
The gang proceeded to the main bedroom where a man of Indian extraction was sleeping with his wife, a local.
The suspects confronted the pair and demanded cash while threatening to shoot them.
One of the suspects suddenly attacked the man with a hammer before they tied him with electric cables.
It is alleged one of the suspects then undressed the woman before he shoved his hands into her privates threatening to rape her at the same time.
They then ransacked the house and stole $10,000 in bond notes and R50,000 in cash.
It is alleged they also stole cellphones drivers’ licences of the couple as well as a Tanzanian passport belonging to the man.
Two remained guarding the couple while others proceeded to the other bedroom two teenagers aged 16 and 19, and their elder sister aged 20, were sleeping.
One of the suspects dragged the 20-year-old to the kitchen where he raped her once without using protection.
They then stole the children’s cellphones before demanding more money.
One of the girls lied that she had money in her car which was parked at the car park. The suspects then force marched the family out of their house intending to go to the car park.
However, when they got out of the house, the family triggered the alarm prompting the robbers to run away.
Total value of goods stolen was $17,626 and nothing was recovered.
They will be back in court on August 21 pending their trial.- ZimLive
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