Prophet rapes patients during healing ritual
A SELF-STYLED prophet from Masvingo has appeared before a Western Commonage Court magistrate in Bulawayo facing charges of allegedly raping two family members under the pretext that he was exorcising evil spirits that were tormenting them. Hitler Chaterera (32) appeared before regional magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze facing two counts of rape. He pleaded not guilty to both counts and was remanded in custody to 31 October for trial.The court heard that a family in Bulawayo’s Nkulumane suburb hired Chaterera from Masvingo to exorcise evil spirits that were tormenting the family. The evil spirits were reportedly causing female members not to get married. The prophet reportedly came and requested a one-on-one session with each family member. It was further revealed that during those one-on-one sessions he told the first victim that there was a spell in her stomach which was to be cleansed with his manhood and she refused. Seeing that his plan had failed it is alleged that the prophet gave her a concoction to drink but it did not work.He then devised a scheme to have sex with her when he told her that if she does not cleanse the evil spirit with his manhood she would die. Out of fear the victim reportedly agreed and they had had sex. After sexually attacking her and in a bid to buy her silence, it is alleged that he told the victim that she would die if she revealed the ordeal to anyone. After that he used the same method on the second victim that there was a spell in her stomach and it would kill her if nothing was done to cleanse it. After hearing that, the court heard that, the prophet forcibly had sex with the victim and after that he also strongly warned her not to tell anyone. The two victims reportedly kept the rape ordeals to themselves but the matter came to light after the second victim skipped her menstrual cycle. Fearing that she was pregnant she revealed the ordeal to the first victim who told her that she was also raped by Chaterera. The matter was reported to the police leading to Chaterera’s arrest.
