Man rapes family friend’s daughter (3), takes her to ‘traditional gathering’
By Auther Chimbgwa
A 28-year-old man allegedly raped a family friend’s 3-year-old daughter and has admitted taking the infant to a traditional gathering for reasons best known to the suspect.
In a memo, police spokesperson for Harare province Inspector Luckmore Chakanza named the suspect as Itai Singini of Westgate, Harare.
According to Chakanza, Singini and his wife took the minor from her mother on 7 July 2025 on the pretext that they were going to Chitungwiza to reunite her with their own daughter who is a playmate to the victim.
They promised to return her on the next day but failed to do so.
After persistent attempts to ring the couple, she finally got hold of the suspect’s wife who casually denied her friend’s request to speak to the child, assuring her that everything was in order.
“On 10 July 2025 the suspect and his wife came back with the minor, but they could not sufficiently explain why they had failed to return her on the promised date,” said Inspector Chakanza, adding that, after questioning, Singini revealed taking the child at one point to a “traditional gathering”.
But on 11 July 2025, the child’s mother noticed her soiling herself, something that was unusual of her daughter.
On 14 July 2025 the mother then noticed some bruises in-between her daughter’s legs and close to her private parts.
She took her to Parirenyatwa Hospital for medical examinations where it was established that the minor had been sexually violated.
Singini was taken in as a suspect to the sexual crime.
