A Beitbridge judge has remanded to May 13, a 16-year old boy who allegedly attacked his 53-year-old aunt with a log, and then raped her while she lay dying, bleeding from the head before stealing R1 700.
The teenager from Beitbridge East, who faces rape and murder charges, was not asked to plead when he appeared before Resident Magistrate Toindepi Zhou on Thursday.
It is the state’s case that the accused, who cannot be named for ethical reasons, killed Maria Gumbo on Friday between 7 am and 2 pm in Fula village.
The boy allegedly attacked the now deceased Gumbo about 500 metres away from her homestead.
The court further heard that Gumbo’s remains were discovered in a pool of blood by her elder sister at around 2 pm.
She informed other villagers and the matter was reported to the police.
The prosecutor said Gumbo had four deep cuts in the head and her body was found lying face down.
Police recovered two blood-stained logs next to the corpse and there was evidence of some struggle 50 metres away from where the body was lying.
Prosecuting, Cloudios Karinga said the police also recovered a blood-stained log and the woman’s undergarments 30 metres from where she had been allegedly killed.
Karinga said the accused, who soon after committing the offence went into hiding, was apprehended by members of the community who handed him to the police on Sunday.
The police recovered R1 540 from the accused teen murderer-cum-rapist.
state media/Zwnews
