A 51-YEAR-OLD man from Nkayi in Matabeleland North province has appeared in court for raping a 12-year-old schoolgirl.

The suspect was remanded in custody to May 21, according to a statement from the National Prosecuting Authority.

It is the State’s case that in January this year, the girl was herding cattle when she met the suspect who was carrying an axe and an Okapi knife.

The man forced her to the ground, removed her clothes and raped her.

After the offence, he offered her US$1 to buy her silence. The matter, however, came to light when the girl reported the sexual assault to her grandmother.

A police report was made and investigations led to the man’s arrest.

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