Police hold three over rape of minors

Mbeya Regional Police Commander Ulrich Matei . Photo|File

Mbeya. Three people - including a primary school teacher, 59, who is accused of sexually assaulting his granddaughter, 15, in Utengule Ward in the region - are being held by the police for alleged rape in Mbeya Region.

Mbeya Regional Police Commander Ulrich Matei told reporters in his office yesterday that the suspects committed the offences on different occasions.

Speaking on the teacher, Matei said the suspect committed the offence on Tuesday at around 8am when he allegedly got hold of his grandchild and sexually abused her.

“The accused is said to have convinced his granddaughter to escort him to his farm in Lumbila.

“Then he led her into a makeshift hut in which he keeps his hand hoes and other agro tools, before he laid her on the ground and sexually assaulted her,” said the RPC.

Matei said the child, who is a student at Malenga Secondary School lived with the suspect, explaining that earlier she was afraid of telling her mother about the incident.

However, the RPC said the teacher wanted to have sex with her again and that is when she was forced to tell her brother who lives at Uyole in Mbeya Region about the action done to her and the latter informed their mother of the incident.

In another incident, Matei said a resident of Kilasiro in Ikimba Ward, Kyela District, was being held by the police for allegedly raping a  9-year-old girl who is a Standard Three pupil at Kilasiro Primary School.

However, he said investigations into the incident was going on and the suspect was in police custody.

In a third incident, Matei told reporters that a man, 30, from Mapelele Street in Nsalala Ward, in Mbalizi Special Police Zone, was allegedly being accused of raping a minor, 3.

Matei said the cause of the incident was being associated with drunkenness. According to the RPC, the suspect has admitted raping the minor and investigation is currently going on.