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Uproar in Zimbabwe as teenager who 'fought off sexual assault' charged with murder
Source: The Guardian
Uproar in Zimbabwe as teenager who ‘fought off sexual assault’ charged with murder
Activists believe the case, in which the accused says she acted in self-defence, shows the law fails women
Nyasha Chingono in Harare
Thu 1 Jul 2021 13.24 BST
A teenager has been charged with murder in Zimbabwe despite claims she was defending herself against a sexual predator. The action has triggered protests from lawyers and activists, who have raised concerns about how victims of sexual violence are treated in the country.
Tariro Matutsa, 19, said she acted in self-defence when she picked up a piece of firewood and hit 40-year-old Sure Tsuro several times last month. She said he had cornered her as she cooked over a fire at her home in Mudzi, a rural area east of the capital, Harare, exposed himself and aggressively demanded sex.
According to the police report: “As he approached, Matutsa grabbed a piece of firewood and struck him several times across his body, and twice over the head.”
Tsuro staggered off but was found dead the next morning.
The case has triggered a debate about women’s rights and the prevalence of sexual violence in the country. Women’s rights activists say Zimbabwean law should protect women who kill would-be attackers in self-defence. But, they say, the country’s self-defence law is too weak to protect women as the courts can decide whether or not harm was intended.
-snip-
Activists believe the case, in which the accused says she acted in self-defence, shows the law fails women
Nyasha Chingono in Harare
Thu 1 Jul 2021 13.24 BST
A teenager has been charged with murder in Zimbabwe despite claims she was defending herself against a sexual predator. The action has triggered protests from lawyers and activists, who have raised concerns about how victims of sexual violence are treated in the country.
Tariro Matutsa, 19, said she acted in self-defence when she picked up a piece of firewood and hit 40-year-old Sure Tsuro several times last month. She said he had cornered her as she cooked over a fire at her home in Mudzi, a rural area east of the capital, Harare, exposed himself and aggressively demanded sex.
According to the police report: “As he approached, Matutsa grabbed a piece of firewood and struck him several times across his body, and twice over the head.”
Tsuro staggered off but was found dead the next morning.
The case has triggered a debate about women’s rights and the prevalence of sexual violence in the country. Women’s rights activists say Zimbabwean law should protect women who kill would-be attackers in self-defence. But, they say, the country’s self-defence law is too weak to protect women as the courts can decide whether or not harm was intended.
-snip-
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/jul/01/uproar-in-zimbabwe-as-teenager-who-fought-off-sexual-assault-charged-with
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