DESPITE being mentally-ill, a 16-year old girl of Lusaka managed to tell the Lusaka Magistrates’ Court with difficulty of how she was violated by a tyre mender who proposed love to her whilst she was roaming the streets.
She said all she could see was the roof whilst her alleged defiler was on top of her ravishing her at his workshop.
This is in a matter were 35-year old Israel Zulu, of Garden House is charged with defilement of an imbecile.
The survivor narrated her ordeal as Magistrate Mutinta Mwenya asked her few questions to prove that she was mentally unsound.
Magistrate Mwenya ruled that the girl did not have sufficient intelligence.
As she was answering the magistrate the girl snapped off and called to mind having sat for grade seven exams and how she loves cooking nshima, beans and soya pieces before she could touch on the alleged sexual assault.
Upon remembering the incident the girl narrated that whilst roaming the streets, she was dragged to some shop by an unknown man.
She said upon getting in the shop the man proposed love to her and before she could give him an answer he was already on top of her and penetrated her.
“I could only see the roof in the shop, he (Zulu) proposed to me, got on top of me and started eating the peach ,” the girl said whilst pointing at her private parts.
Asked if she could recognise her alleged defiler the 16-year old responded in the affirmative.
Social welfare officer Victoria Mutungwa showed her pictures of some men in her phone and she managed to identify the accused.
During cross examination Zulu asked the girl why she did not disclose about her illness to him but she responded that he was aware of her insanity.
Petronella Mutowa who rescued the survivor said Zulu attempted to bribe her with a K50 after finding him in the act.
Mutowa narrated that on October 19, 2023 as she made her way to Makeni clinic she saw two pupils watching something at a tyre mending shop to which she got curious as she heard screams of a woman.
“A female was screaming as if they are being strangled. The scream was from a shop where they mend tyres. When I crossed over and asked the pupils what was happening, they said they were not sure,” Mutowa narrated
“I walked three steps towards the shop. I found the accused on top of the girl who was screaming. I asked what was happening because the lady was screaming. The man freed the girl and I noticed his zip was open. I asked if the girl was his wife but there was mortuary silence. I took the girl to police which was very nearby. I told the police I could identify the suspect who was about to flee.”
She said upon asking Zulu to accompany her to the nearby police station he pleaded with her not to report her in fear of being arrested and promised to give her a K50.
And Prisca Kabwe a female police officer of Westwood police station said she charged Zulu with the subject offence after he failed to give a reasonable explanation for having sex with a mentally unsound girl.
Magistrate Mwenya adjourned the case to February 7, for continuation of trial.
By Mwaka Ndawa
Kalemba January 29, 2024.
