Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Court Correspondent
A HWEDZA man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison after being convicted of repeatedly raping his 14-year-old biological daughter over two years.
The man (39), whose name is withheld to protect the identity of the victim, claimed in court that he was possessed by “evil spirits” that drove him to commit the heinous acts.
He pleaded guilty to the charges when he appeared before Marondera magistrate Mr Ignatious Mhene.
In mitigation, he expressed remorse and blamed supernatural forces for his behaviour.
However, the magistrate strongly condemned his actions, describing them as abhorrent and deserving of severe punishment.
Prosecutor Ms Barbara Mabika told the court that the abuse began in September 2023 when the complainant, a Form 2 student now, relocated from South Africa to continue her education in Hwedza.
At the time, she was in Grade 6.
Despite the ongoing abuse, the complainant did not report the incidents initially, as her father had threatened her with death if she disclosed what was happening.
The sexual abuse occurred in October 2023, when the accused forcibly pulled the complainant into her grandmother’s house and raped her.
Afterwards, he ordered her to act normally and play with her friends as if nothing had happened.
The sexual assaults continued until February 2024, when the accused left for South Africa. However, his return in May 2025 reignited the abuse, which persisted until September 2025.
