Viral Video Female Juveniles Arrested for Brutal Assault of 18-year-old Woman
…they do not deserve to live amongst communities, police say
By Delicious Mathuthu
Mashonaland East, Zimbabwe- The Zimbabwe Republic Police (ZRP) has arrested five women in connection with a viral video showing a group of female juveniles brutally assaulting an 18-year-old woman in the rural area of Hwedza in Mashonaland East Province, about 127 km from the capital, Harare.
In a statement by ZRP Spokesperson, Commissioner Paul Nyathi, the teenagers were arrested on July 10, 2024, in connection with the aggravated indecent assault case.
“Reference is made to our post on the Zimbabwe Republic Police X (twitter) handle on 10 July 2024 on a viral video circulating on socal media platforms in which a female victim is being assaulted by a group of female suspects.
“The Zimbabwe Republic Police confirms the arrest of Vimbai Mike (19), Rudo Manjere (17), Lilly Rose Munyoro (16), Lilian Chido Munyoro (17) and Sandra Vhumbunu (17) on 10 July 2024 in connection with the case of aggravated indecent assault which occurred at Mupfuuri Village, Wedza on 04th July 2024,” Commissioner Nyathi said.
Police said investigations reveal that the suspects lured the victim to Vimbai Mike’s homestead on July 4, 2024, under the pretext of giving her vegetable seedlings.
They then locked her in a hut, stripped her naked, and took turns beating her with switches, indecently assaulting her and recording the incident in the process.
The victim was left unconscious and was later freed, naked and weak.
“… at 1100hours, Rudo Manjere, Lilly Rose Munyoro and Lillian Chido Munyoro lured the victim…to Vimbai Mike’s homestead at Mupfuuri Village, Wedza on the pretext that they wanted to give her vegetable seedlings.
“The suspects locked the victim in one of the huts and stripped her naked. The five suspects took turns to assault the victim with switches and went on to insert three sticks into the victim’s private parts whilst recording a video.
“The victim fell unconscious and the suspects poured water on her before freeing her naked at 1500 hours,” Commissioner Nyathi said.
The victim is currently receiving medical attention at St Mary’s Hospital.
Police said the arrest led to the recovery of a Vivo cellphone which was used to record the assault incident while Vimbai Mike, now an adult, is detained in Police custody while the other four suspects, who are juveniles, have been released in custody of their parents awaiting trial.
Speaking on one of the country’s national radio stations over the incident, Commissioner Nyathi described the incident as “embarrassing and disturbing,” and that such behaviour has no room in the community.
“…this is an embarrassing and disturbing case.
“We don’t expect grown and young women, some wearing school uniforms to do such a thing; beating up the girl, even if the person wronged you, insulted you or angered you no one has a right to do what we see in this video.
“…they should be arrested, brought before the courts because that’s where they should be. They don’t deserve to live within the community with others.
“Let’s not keep criminals who don’t deserve to live amongst the community, because what we see in that video cannot be done by people who live amongst the community.
“This is embarrassing not only in Zimbabwe but the whole world which is seeing this video and the people speaking our language,” Commissioner Nyathi said.
The capture and assault is said lasted over four hours.
In the four minute video circulating on social media the victim is seen naked, lying on the floor being whipped all over the body with thick switches, kicked and slapped by four women in a farm brick hut, with the fifth suspect guarding the door and recording the video.
Blood is visibly seen on the victim’s legs, and a swollen arm, as the perpetrators continue mercilessly whipping her.
Despite her plea to be forgiven and that she was hurt, for a moment pleading to be given at least a 10 minute break before the suspects continued with the sinister assault, the assault went on.
“I am not saying don’t beat me but I am asking you to be patient for now and leave me for just 10 minutes and you can…,” before the victim could finish her plea, the whipping started again.
The victim is seen visibly numb and weak, lying on the floor and the video cuts with her giving a traumatising scream for mercy as the whipping continued.
Some eyewitnesses and information on social media allege that the assault victim had exposed infidelity by two of the women seen assaulting her in the video.
They say the incident happened at one Trymore Chingwena’s homestead near St Clemence school in the Wedza, Munyoro area.
The victim is said stays with her grandmother and had exposed the infidelity. It is alleged that she fainted twice or thrice during the beating with the suspects pouring the victim with water to wake her up.
She was let go naked, weak and struggling to walk and dumped near her homestead.
“I saw the girl yesterday, yes ndiye, these people ka kutotora video; so I heard kuti video racho raka leaker ndi Mwari aita kuti mhondi idzi dzibatwe zvakaitika kuno Wedza district (these people actually taking a video and it leaked. It’s God who made sure these criminals are caught, it happened this side, in Wedza District),” one of the witnesses close to the incident said.
“Akaburitsa chokwadi chaiitika pavakadzi 2 (two), married, vaidanana ne munhu one (she revealed the truth of what was happening with the two married women who were cheating with the same person).
“Iyi nyaya yavari kutaura mu video ndeye ku creator chokwadi chaairoverwa ndechekuti akava reporter kuvarume vavo (the issue they are alleging in the video is created, the real issue which they beat her for is that she reported them to their husbands),” she said.
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