THREE policemen based at Tshitulipasi Police Station in Beitbridge East allegedly raped an 18-year-old woman on three different occasions last month.
The suspects Courage Majoni (32), Jabulani Museba (33) and Enock Nyamupandu (35) were acquitted by regional magistrate Innocent Bepura, who ruled in their favour.
Part of the evidence left the court in stitches when defence lawyer Muchihwande Forbes Sithole produced phone messages from the complainant thanking one of the suspects for the sexual encounter.
Bepura also queried and dismissed as unreasonable the complainant’s month-long delay to report such a “serious” case.
The complainant only reported to her mother in Bulawayo.
The complainant claimed she feared threats by the trio.
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“The complainant lied to police she had no phone while at Tshitulipasi, but changed that in court. The investigating officer intended taking the phone for cyber analysis, but she denied ever having one,” Sithole, the defence lawyer, said.
Sithole accused the complainant of misleading the court that she was illiterate to avoid certain questions, but her mother said she had passed some O Level subjects.
Allegations were that on June 5 this year, Museba sneaked into a bathroom where the complainant was bathing and raped her once before threatening to shoot her and her aunt if they reported the case.
Three days later, Makoni allegedly abused the woman using the same modus operandi.
On 13 June, Nyamupandu allegedly pounced on the same woman after sneaking into their house and raped her once at knife point.
A few days later, the complainant went back to Bulawayo, where she disclosed her alleged abuse to her mother.
The matter was reported at Western Commonage Police Station, leading to the trio’s arrest.
Tsitsi Mutukwa prosecuted.