Zimbabwe: Abused from the tender age of 13

My mother died when I was still very young and I was taken into the care of my mother’s young sister, Tracey* and her husband Danie*. The two were very accommodating to me and many people thought that I was their eldest daughter and not their niece. They had only two children and we were a very closely knit family. One day Tracey* had to attend a distant relative’s funeral and Danie* stayed behind with us. Danie* called me to the bedroom just as the two children had fallen asleep. I confidently entered the bedroom not suspecting anything. I did not think that Danie* had a sinister motive up his sleeve. I was only 13 years old when Danie* raped me. He increased the volume of the television set when I entered the bedroom. I cried the whole night and wondered why Danie* had done such an awful thing since I looked up to him for protection and everything. I told Tracey* of the unfortunate incident and she pleaded with me not to let anyone know about it. Danie* and Tracey* then bribed me with lots of goodies to buy my silence. 

I then eloped to Mcloudy* at the age of 16 because I could not continually stay with Tracey* and Danie*. During my stay with Mcloudy* either Tracey* or Danie* regularly called assuring me that they were with me in everything and I had to go to them if I needed any help. Out of the love I had towards my husband, I narrated how I had lost my virginity. I had two children with my husband in a space of five years. He then started cheating on me. When I confronted him about it he remained quiet. He later humiliated me in front of his friends that I lied to him that I was raped yet I was being intimate with my uncle. 

The emotional abuse continued and later developed into physical abuse. He would just beat me even for not polishing his shoes. I later surrendered and left for my Tracey*’s place with my two children. Danie* started nagging me whenever Tracey* was not around begging to have sex with me. I later told Tracey* but Danie* denied the accusations when he was asked. He then said that I was the one who was seducing him and he even regretted having me under his roof. I then left for Norton with my children to stay with my late mother’s brother. Mcloudy* then trekked me and forcibly took the children away with him. I am waiting for a set court date where I want sole custody of my children. I wish that I get some funding to grow my fish selling business. I buy some fresh fish in bulk, dry them and sell them as dried fish.