By A Correspondent | The granny of a 4 year old child who was raped and forced to drink sperm, has finally succeeded in meeting a top ZRP boss on state TV.
A 4 year girl was raped and made to drink sperm, proven by a medical examination in case RRB 4051834 Chitungwiza and yet @PoliceZimbabwe has closed the file. Can you explain why you have failed to effect an arrest ZRP, @nickmangwana @Jamwanda2 ; @MuzvareBetty
— ZimEye (@ZimEye) August 12, 2020
The shocking abuse of the minor was exposed on ZimEye two weeks ago, and later had the award winning the girl rights activist Dr. Betty Makoni intervening. As a result, yesterday Gogo Nyaradzai successfully met a senior police suprentendent and managed to discuss the matter before the whole nation. (see LIVE video loading below…)
An independent social worker has narrated the minor’s ordeal in the following lines:
This is what I have to find out from gogo.
The child whom I shall refer to as Rose as stated in audio sent by gogo, first revealed the rape to gogo because of the relationship between gogo and child. Rose has been living with both parents at gogo’s house for the greater part of her life. The parents moved out of gogo’s house to their own place and later moved in with the other gogo, maternal. It is at maternal grandmother’s house that Rose alleges the sexual abuse took place. The rapist is Rose’s maternal uncle who is living with maternal grandmother.
After the Rose revealed the sexual abuse to paternal gogo who reported this case, a younger brother to Rose’s father approached Alvin and beat him for abusing his brother’s child. It is at this time that bitter relations began to show between the 2 families.
The paternal gogo alleges maternal gogo openly barred Rose from further communication with paternal gogo. On one occasion when paternal gogo insisted on taking Rose to get her a pair of shoes, Rose openly told her that ‘gogo vakati havadi kuti mutaure neni nevana vavo’ gogo said she doesn’t want you to talk to me or her children.
The medical exam which was done on Rose confirmed that Rose had been a sexually abused.
Despite the report confirming abuse, Rose’s mother and grandmother tried to conceal the matter from paternal grandmother. It was after her personal pursuit of the case that she came to know about this.
The case was tried at Chitungwiza magistrate’s court and Alvin was acquitted of rape charges. Gogo alleges that during a cross examination whilst she was on the witness stand, she was told that Rose had failed to name the penis hence her statement was not sound and valid. Gogo alleges that although Rose could not narrate the rape at every interview she at least did so once. Gogo says she feels the justice system has let her granddaughter down.
On assessment of present condition of the child:
There is need to investigate the current living conditions of the child. Gogo alleges she last had physical eye contact with her grandchild on August 3, 2020.
Gogo lives 10 houses from where Rose is living with maternal grandmother. She alleges that she is reliably informed about how the child has deteriorated emotionally. At one time she tried to gain access to seeing the child but she was vehemently denied by the grandmother. The child was sitting at a certain spot by the gate, but as soon as she came close, she was whisked away. An inside informant living in same house tells gogo about how passive, quiet and unresponsive she has become to her peers which is an worrying indicator in such circumstances.
During the trial, the probation officer had ordered removal of the child from maternal grandmother’s house because of the risk but as soon as the case was dismissed, Rose’s mother brought her back to the house.
Gogo is worried by the attitude of Rose’s maternal relatives, barring her from any contact with Rose. As for Alvin gogo alleges that whenever she meets him publicly, he calls out that: ‘handisungwe ini’ sarcastically. Rose’s father and mother are currently on a separation, gogo sites problems to do with this case. He is now in Mutare. The mother is living alone away from her mother and Rose.
During this interview, gogo called Rose’s mother to ask for permission to see her. She declined and referred gogo to her mother. Gogo called maternal grandmother seeking permission to see Rose. As soon as she stated her intention, maternal grandmother hung up. She tried again but maternal grandmother was not picking up. An emotional gogo is now appealing to other influential independent parties to get to her granddaughter who she believes is suffering at the hands of the same uncle she identified as her perpetrator.