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Media reports of child sexual abuse
Betty Makoni, Director, Girl Child Network
July 27, 2004

Murdered girl was sexually abused: police
The Herald
July 15, 2004

Police yesterday said the mutilated body of the six-year old Norton schoolgirl, which was recently found dumped near Norton Police Station, was sexually abused and refrigerated for a few days before being dumped. They suspect that Isabel Makusha was killed for ritual purposes since, as such cases, her genital and other body parts were missing.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Oliver Mundipaka said according to autopsy results carried out at Banket Hospital Mortuary on Tuesday, the girl's head was hit with a heavy object. "Results and observations made by the doctor who conducted the post-mortem revealed that the child's head was crushed by a plus or minus 3 kilogramme object or instrument," he said " Furthermore" Supt Mandipaka said, Isabel's right leg was dislocated, some bones crushed and flesh missing below the left eye.

The post -mortem also indicated that the girl had been sexually abused and that the body was also refrigerated for some time before being dumped in the grassy areas along the Harare- Bulawayo railway line," he said

Murdered schoolgirl laid to rest
The Herald
July 19, 2004

The SIX -YEAR -OLD Norton schoolgirl believed to have been a victim of a ritual murder, was buried in Shurugwi last Thursday. The mutilated body of Isabel Mukusha was found on Monday last week dumped in a grassy area along the Harare - Bulawayo railway line. An autopsy revealed that the corpse had been sexually violated and then refrigerated for a few days before it was dumped about one - and- a -half kilometres from Norton Police, where the girl lived with her parents.

Police suspected that Isabel was killed for ritual purposes since her genital and other body parts were missing. Police spokesperson Superintendent Oliver Mandipaka confirmed the burial. " She was buried in Gundura area in Shurugwi but the police are still carrying out investigations in a bid to bring the culprits to book," he said.

Several organisations in the city have condemned the brutal murder of Isabel.

Pastor Guti to remain in prison
The Herald
July 19, 2004

Zimbambwe Assembes of God Africa (Zaoga) church pastor Nelson Guti (70), who was jailed for 12 years for raping two young girls, will remain in prison after a Chitungwiza magistrate yesterday dismissed his application for bail pending appeal. Guti had applied for bail pending appeal against both conviction and sentence. Dismissing the application by Guti, regional magistrate Mr Taurai Chigwedu said the conviction was proper and the 12 - year sentence was justified in the circumstances.

Man (36), rapes girl (10)
Manica Post
July 9-15, 2004

A 36-YEAR -OLD Chipinge man was arrested after raping a 10 -year-old girl. The victim is a stepdaughter to the elder brother of the accused, Wonderful Singizi. It is alleged that the girls was in Singizi's company going to Mutikwanda Resettlement area to collect some sweet potatoes.

It is believed that on the way, Singizi enticed the young girl to follow him into a nearby bush to search for some guavas. Police said Singizi is alleged to have heard a whistle and told the victim to hide. Whilst in hiding, he removed his jacket and covered her face and raped her once and they proceeded with their journey. The girl informed her mother, who reported the matter to the police. Singizi was arrested and the girl was taken to hospital for medical examination. Investigations are still in progress.

In another incident, Edmore Guzeguze of Lenwood Farm in Chipinge, raped a 13 -year- old girl. Police said the girl was on her way home from the Lenwood farm when she met Guzeguze. They shook hands but Guzeguze did not let go of the girl's hand and a struggle ensued. She managed to free herself and fled but Guzeguze ran after her and caught up with her, dragged her into a near-by bush, pinned her to the ground, produced a knife and threatened to kill her if she screamed for help. He stripped her naked and raped her thrice. The girl reported the incident to her mother, who alerted the police.

Comment: Right activists should pull up their socks
Manica Post
July 9-15, 2004

Meanwhile, we note with concern the apparent indifference of children's rights movements when in recent months there have been hair-raising violations of children's rights in Manicaland and the country at large. Despite that an alleged perpetrator is innocent until proven guilty, we feel that the silence is too much and goes beyond the sobriety- induced reticence typical among those who shun contempt of court.

For the record, when Mutare DJ Ethelbert Kaiboni Mlambo first featured in the dock facing allegations of statutorily raping and infecting with HIV a fifteen year old school girl, there was silence from both the children's and women's rights groups and organisations.

Could this be the evidence we have always wanted to show that some of the activists in these groups and organisations are in it only for money? After all, most of these are Non Governmental Organisations, well known for affording their employees near-black market salaries that have become the envy of employees in many other sectors.

Equally disturbing is the silence of churches and their leaders. In the face of these stories of infringement upon the rights of the defenceless, we had thought members of the clergy and their flocks would voice their concern with a view to signalling to perpetrators that their rotting morals are not being condoned, and warn would-be offenders that their intentions stand to be condemned in the sternest of terms.

The Administration of justice in its broadest sense is not merely a judicial function, as some suppose. All of society has an obligation to ensure that justice and equity prevail.

Child sexual abuse cases up in city
Sunday Mail
July 18, 2004

REPORTED cases of child sexual abuse are on the increase in Chitungwiza with a total of 139 having been reported between January and May this year, a senior police official said last week. Speaking at the re-launch of the Police Service Charter, officer commanding Chitungwiza District Chief Superintended Arthur Makanga said police were working hard to help reduce the numbers of children being sexually abused. He said that most reported cases are those of children between the ages of one month and 17 years.

Statistics made available to Sunday metro by police reveal that fathers, uncles, neighbours, lovers, friends, brothers, strangers and church religious leaders were among the perpetrators of child sexual abuse. A total of 18 children were sexually abused by their fathers between January and May.

Uncles sexually abused a total of 12 children at the same period. Neighbours sexually abused another 43 children while lovers abused a total of 41 teenagers. Friends molested eight children while brothers sexually abused a total of six children. Strangers sexually abused a total of 65 children while church religious leaders abused two teenagers.

Addressing residents at the same gathering, Supt Makanga urged police to have the correct attitude towards work and the public who they serve so that they can report sexual abuse cases without fear.

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