Two Masasi High School boys have been denied bail and are facing three serious charges after shocking new details of an alleged sex...ual attack were revealed in court. The pair, who cannot be named as they are minors, appeared at Mutare Magistrates’ Court. The court heard how the teenagers allegedly spiked their schoolmate’s drink before the attack, which was captured on a video that has since sparked national outrage. The charges they face carry severe minimum prison sentences.
The court proceedings painted a grim picture of the events that allegedly took place on February 8. According to the prosecutor, Last Goredema, the two accused were walking home with the 17-year-old complainant after school. It was during this walk that the prosecution claims the assault was set in motion.
Prosecutor Goredema told the court:
“Along the way, they gave the complainant a drink which later intoxicated her. The two then dragged the complainant to a secluded place in the forest where they started taking turns of sex...ually abusing her.”
reports that the court was informed that the girl was left motionless due to the intoxication. It was further alleged that the severity of the assault resulted in the survivor defecating on the spot during the attack.
A central piece of evidence in the case is a video recording of the alleged assault. The court heard that one of the boys, aged 16, had recorded the incident on his phone. The other boy, initially reported as 16, has now been confirmed to be 17. The video was not widely circulated until months after the February incident, leading to the arrests on Sunday.
The prosecutor detailed how the video came to light:
“One of the two boys shared the video clip with a friend, who later leaked it months later.”
This leak led to the video spreading across social media, igniting a firestorm of public anger. The court was told that in the footage, the juveniles could be heard “praising themselves as ‘mauto’ (soldiers) while sexually abusing the girl.” This public outcry was cited as one of the reasons for opposing bail.
The two boys face a trio of serious charges. They have been charged with rape, aggravated indecent assault, and indecent assault. Prosecutor Last Goredema strongly opposed their release on bail, arguing the case against them is severe.
He stated:
“We opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and the public outcry which has followed since the video was posted online by one of the accused persons.”
The charge of rape, under Section 65 of the Criminal Law Act, carries a minimum sentence of five years imprisonment. However, if the court finds aggravating circumstances, the minimum sentence is fifteen years, with a maximum of life imprisonment.
The second charge, aggravated indecent assault under Section 66, carries the same severe penalties as rape, meaning a potential life sentence or a minimum of fifteen years if aggravating circumstances are proven.
The third charge of indecent assault under Section 67 can result in a prison sentence of up to two years, a fine, or both.
Presiding regional magistrate Phathekile Msipa remanded the two minors in custody. They are scheduled to appear back in court on October 14. The community and the nation now wait to see how this harrowing case will proceed.
