Court Remands Masasi Schoolboys Over Viral R@p€ Video That Rocked Zimbabwe

Two teenage boys from Masasi High School in Marange have been remanded in custody after appearing at the Mutare Magistrates’ Court on charges of gang-r@ping their 17-year-old schoolmate, filming the assault, and leaking the footage online.

The incident, which allegedly occurred in February, only came to light after the disturbing video surfaced on social media last week, triggering national outrage and leading to their arrest.

The suspects, aged 16 and 17, appeared before regional magistrate Phathekile Msipa on Tuesday.

Prosecutor Last Goredema opposed bail, citing the seriousness of the offence and the public backlash.

“The nature of the crime and the reaction from the public make it unsafe to release the accused at this stage,” he told the court.

The boys were remanded in custody until October 14.

According to court documents, the assault happened on February 8 around 4pm as the trio walked home from school.

The boys allegedly gave the complainant a spiked drink that left her intoxicated and unable to resist.

They then dragged her into a nearby bush and took turns r@ping her while one of them recorded the act.

The victim was reportedly motionless during the attack and defecated on the spot due to the effects of the drugs.

In the video, the juveniles can be heard calling themselves “soldiers” while committing the abuse.

H-Metro reported that initial claims suggested an adult had discovered the footage on one of the boys’ phones and alerted school authorities.

However, it later emerged in court that one of the suspects had shared the clip with a friend, who leaked it months later.

The boys face three charges under the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act: r@pe (Section 65(1)), aggravated indecent assault (Section 66(b)(ii)), and indecent assault (Section 67(1)(a)(i)).

One of the accused resides in Dhaure Village, while the other is from Rimai Village, both under Chief Marange.

Police confirmed they had located the complainant and both suspects.

“The ZRP has located the complainant, aged 17, and the two suspects, aged 16.

“More details will be released as inquiries continue,” said Commissioner Paul Nyathi.

The case has reignited national debate around child protection, digital abuse, and the legal handling of juvenile offenders.