African man convicted of rape to be sentenced in February

An African man who raped a teenage Zambian girl he claimed he had married in a traditional wedding after paying a dowry of a goat, a length of fabric, a frying pan and US $500 (€375) will be sentenced in February.

Kasenge Bangu (aged 46), a Congolese native, with an address at St Anthony's Street, Rialto, Dublin was convicted at the Central Criminal Court on Saturday on four charges of raping the then 15-year-old victim at an address in Wexford on dates from November 20 to December 7, 2002.

Three of the guilty verdicts were unanimous and one was by 10-2 majority. The jury returned its verdicts on day-nine of the trial, following five hours deliberation and after spending Friday night in a hotel.

The girl became pregnant as a result of Bangu raping her and was assisted by the then South Eastern Health Board to have an abortion in England.

A Scottish scientist said that DNA analysis on foetal matter from the abortion and on hair and blood samples from Bangu showed it was "two million times more likely he was the father than if they were unrelated to each other".

Mr Justice Barry White had adjourned the case for mention today so that enquiries could be made from the victim if she wished to give evidence on oath of the impact the crimes had on her before she returned home to Zambia this week.

Mr Justice White remanded Bangu in custody for sentence in February after being told she didn't want to give verbal evidence on the issue and he directed also that inquiries be made about Bangu's status in Ireland and about his travels into and out of Ireland since he first came here some years ago.

The jury found Bangu not guilty on one charge of raping her at an unknown address in Dublin and also on two counts of anally raping a then 13-year-old girl between the same dates.

One of these acquittals was by direction of the court. Bangu had pleaded not guilty to all the offences.