Emily Mbewe Court Reporter

A TEENAGER made a false rape report to the police to avoid being chased away from home after coming back late from a party, a court heard yesterday.

Mellisa Moyo, 19, of Entumbane suburb, appeared before Bulawayo magistrate Sibongile Msipa-Marondedze charged with defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

She pleaded guilty and was remanded out of custody to today for sentencing.

When Moyo was asked the reason for committing the offence, she told the court that she was afraid her grandmother would chase her away from home after she came back late from a party.

“Your worship I went to party with my friends and went back home around 2AM. My grandmother told me to pack my bags and return to where I’d spent half the night. I decided to tell her that I was raped so that she wouldn’t chase me away,” she said.

The court heard how Moyo’s plan backfired when her grandmother insisted she should make a report to the police.

The State alleges that on March 15 at around 2PM, Moyo went to Bulawayo Central police station and made a rape report.

Nkathazo Dlodlo, prosecuting, told the court that Moyo was alleging that she had been raped by her boyfriend. “Moyo told Prince Ndlovu, a police officer, that she only knew her boyfriend as Raymond and did not supply his residential address,” said Dlodlo.

The court heard that the police instituted investigations.

Dlodlo told the court that on the next day, Moyo changed her story and told the police she was lying.

She was immediately arrested for sending police on a wild goose chase.