Woman up for facilitating minor’s rape

A 22-YEAR-OLD woman has appeared before a Harare court for facilitating the rape of a 14-year-old girl in exchange for money.

Vimbai Fungisayi appeared before magistrate Ms Temba Kawanda and was remanded out of custody to March 19 for trial.

The State alleges that sometime in October last year, the minor ran away from home and started living with Fungisayi at the Roman Catholic Church Phase 1, East View, Harare.

Fungisayi asked her to have sexual intercourse with Tendai Masiya (45).

The girl refused, but the duo are alleged to have forcibly removed her clothes and pinned her on the bed, where she was raped by Masiya.

Masiya reportedly returned three days later and, with the help of Fungisayi, raped the minor again.

All the while, the girl’s aunt had been frantically looking for her since she had escaped from home.

The concerned aunt later discovered where she was staying and, to her horror, there were 12 other young girls that were allegedly being exploited.

Upon quizzing the minors, the aunt heard that they were forced into sexual relations with men in exchange for food.

After collecting the girl from the “brothel”, the aunt took her to a doctor, where it was confirmed that she had a sexually transmitted infection.

A report was made to the police, leading to the arrest of the two.

Masiya is separately facing two counts of rape.