Thabani Gazi (20), Prince Chirombo (18), Rombo Chirara (18) and Admire Chirongoma (18) who shot to notoriety after a video of them narrating how they sexually assaulted girls believed to be commercial sex workers went viral, have denied all rape charges. Instead, the four alleged rapists have claimed that they made the confessions under duress after they were severely assaulted by members of the Zimbabwe National Army (ZNA).
This was revealed to Kadoma magistrate Amos Mbobo by Tawanda Takaindisa, a criminal defence attorney and civil rights campaigner, who has offered to represent the quartet for free. Takaindisa also filed an application for bail for the four said that they are of fixed abode and will not take flight. Takaindisa is insisting that his clients are innocent and were forced to confess.
The accused on July 4 allegedly entered the girls’ room at Mungwanya Compound in Battlefields armed with machetes, knives and empty beer bottles. They then ordered one of the girls’ clients to hide behind a curtain in the room before they attacked the girls and gang-raping them. The four used protection during the sexual encounters.
More: Daily News
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