Nine months jail for faking rape

A woman from Cowdray Park suburb in Bulawayo has been sentenced to nine months in prison for making a false rape report to the police.

Rejoice Nyoni (34) was observed through CCTV walking with the man she accused of violating her to the back of a shop but later alleged he had dragged here there before raping her.

Ultimately, she was lucky to end up performing 210 hours of community service.

Nyoni pleaded guilty to a charge of obstructing the course of justice before Bulawayo magistrate Ms Sharon Rosemani.

Ms Rosemani sentenced her to nine months in prison.

“Three months is suspended on condition that you do not repeat a similar offence in three years. The remaining six months are suspended on condition that accused person completes 210 hours of community service at Cowdray Park Primary School,” she said.

Nyoni said she made the false report after the man refused to pay her $50 as they had agreed.

Prosecuting, Mr Mclean Ndlovu said the two had consensual sex on November 2 this year.

“Around 8PM, Nyoni went to Bulawayo Central Police Station where she reported that she had been raped by an unknown man behind Solatek shop corner second Avenue and Jason Moyo Street,” he said.

Mr Ndlovu said: “Nyoni stated that she had been grabbed by her shirt, forcibly pulled into a sanitary lane where the man had raped her. Investigations revealed that the scene of the crime was under CCTV monitoring and the investigative officer managed to have access to the video footage.”

“The two were observed in the footage walking together without Nyoni being dragged,” he said.

Mr Ndlovu said they were seen having quality time together without any form of aggression being used.

“Nyoni was questioned and she revealed that she had made up the story after the man refused to pay her for sex as he had promised,” he said.