15 years for raping neighbour’s daughter (16)

A 58-year-old Bulawayo man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping and indecently assaulting his neighbour’s 16-year-old daughter.

The man, from Old Lobengula suburb, whose identity is being withheld to protect the victim, was found guilty by Western Commonage regional magistrate, Mrs Sibongile Marondedze.

Sentencing the accused, Mrs Marondedze underscored the seriousness of rape and its impact to the victims.

“As the complainant’s neighbour, the accused was expected to protect the girl but instead he turned a monster.

“The accused is a danger to society due to his predatory behaviour and a deterrent sentence is necessary to discourage would-be offenders. There is a need to protect the girl child, and as such, the offender is sentenced to an effective 15 years,” she said.

Prosecutor Ms Christina Manyika told the court that the abuse began in 2023, when the accused would invite the teenager to his home under the pretext of needing help unloading groceries from his vehicle.

He would pay her US$1 for her assistance and then indecently assault her. This pattern continued until January this year.

“On 26 January, at around 4PM, the accused again called the girl to his house for help. After she assisted him, he forcibly took her into his bedroom, closed the door, and used sticky tape to silence her before raping her,” said Ms Manyika.

Following the assault, the accused gave the complainant R20 in an attempt to buy her silence and threatened to harm her if she reported the incident.

The abuse came to light when the complainant’s aunt noticed a change in her behaviour and questioned her.

The girl then disclosed the assault, leading to a police report and the eventual arrest of the accused.