The Karoi Magistrates’ Court held its breath as the verdict was read, a decision that some felt was just while others considered it a bit harsh. A 49-year-old man, his face a mask of defiance and despair, was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the brutal rape of his 26-year-old ex-wife he had recently parted ways with.
The details of the crime, as presented in court, painted a harrowing picture of a woman’s vulnerability and a man’s abuse of power. On the 25th of April, the complainant, accompanied by her uncle, had gone to her ex-husband’s residence in Chikangwe to retrieve her belongings. The encounter, intended as a simple act of reclaiming what was rightfully hers, turned into a nightmare.
“When they arrived, the accused person requested to have a private conversation with her, and they entered the bedroom, where he locked the door,” the prosecutor recounted, his voice devoid of emotion, yet carrying the weight of the accusations. “He forcefully grabbed the complainant and she pushed him away. The two wrestled until the accused person overpowered her. He pushed her onto the bed and raped her once.”
The chilling details of the assault were amplified by the desperate cries for help that were ignored. The complainant’s uncle and a neighbour, alerted by her screams, tried in vain to force open the locked door. It was only when they called the police that the nightmare finally ended. The police arrived, rescued the complainant, and arrested the accused. The complainant was immediately taken to Karoi District Hospital for a medical examination, a testament to the physical and emotional trauma she had endured.
