Man jailed for alleged rape of 10-year-old stepdaughter, released 3 days later – O País report

Login

Register

http://www.clubofmozambique.com/

Man jailed for alleged rape of 10-year-old stepdaughter, released 3 days later – O País report

12:30 CAT | 08 Apr 2022

Image: CoM from O País

A 10-year-old girl has been bedridden since March 20, after she was raped, allegedly by her 32-year-old step-father, at the family home in the city of Beira’s Manga neighbourhood.

The child said that, on the day she was raped, the suspect asked her to come into his bedroom while his wife was at church. Without suspecting anything, because similar calls had already occurred several times to various domestic purposes, she went to him.

“He suddenly closed the door and covered my mouth. He grabbed me tightly and took me to the bed, where he raped me. After a while, my friends were calling me outside, so he released me, but he threatened to beat me if I told my mother what had happened,” she recounted.

When the mother returned, the alleged rapist claimed that her daughter had malaria, but she was surprised by her daughter’s condition. “Malaria, with blood coming from her genitals? Due to the child’s age, her first menstrual period wasn’t expected so soon, so I started to question my daughter, and she confessed that her stepfather, my husband, had raped her, in our bedroom and in our bed. I didn’t believe her, and took the child to hospital, where the rape was confirmed. I went to the police, and the perpetrator was arrested. To my amazement, he was released three days later. I don’t know why. I demand justice,” the mother pleaded.

O País learned from the police that a criminal case with number 151/2021 was opened against the accused, but the authorities were unable to ascertain why he was released. The PRM did however assert that the case had been sent to the Beira City Attorney’s Office.

“This individual must be held accountable. Raping a minor, and without any protection, is a crime, and nothing justifies his release. We do not know whether or not he has a disease, so it is urgent that he be returned to prison to undergo medical examinations and then serve his sentence. His freedom is a risk to other minors,” a neighbour of the victim said.

Source: O País