St Giles bus driver up for raping hand-capped juvenile

By Mary Taruvinga

A 65-year-old bus driver, at St Giles special school, was on Thursday arraigned before the courts on allegations of sexually abusing a disabled 16-year-old female student.

Enock Samhembere appeared before Harare magistrate Rumbidzai Mugwagwa facing three rape counts.

He was not asked to plead and was remanded in custody to next month pending trial.

Prosecuting, Linda Gadzikwa alleged that Samhembere raped the girl whose identity is being protected on three different occasions using protection.

The child became so unfocused raising suspicions in her teachers who then interviewed her before she disclosed the abuse.

According to court papers, the complainant is a student at St Giles school.

“Sometime in March 2019 on the date and time not known, accused saw the complainant who was in the dining room having lunch while he was standing in the passage,” read court papers.

“He called the complainant using gestures and she went to him,” the State further alleged.

It is the State’s case that Samhembere, then led the student to the changing room near the dining hall and locked the door.

Court heard he ordered her to remove her pants and she complied.

He went on to rape her once using protection and gave her some money afterwards.

Samhembere, according to the State repeated the abuse twice but did not give the complainant money.

It is alleged that her teachers then noticed behavioral change in the complainant and interviewed her.

She then narrated what transpired leading to Samhembere’s arrest.