51-year-old gets 20 years jail over pregnant 15-yr-old

A 51-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man who repeatedly raped and impregnating his tenant’s 15-year-old granddaughter, was yesterday sentenced to an effective 20 years in jail.

The accused who pleaded not guilty was however convicted by Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Matthew Mutiro, due to overwhelming evidence.

In passing sentence, Mr Mutiro noted that the victim’s silence stemmed from fear and reliance on the accused.

“The complainant couldn’t disclose the matter because she and her family depended on the accused for support,” said Mr Mutiro.

The magistrate condemned the accused’s conduct, saying he targeted a young, vulnerable and defenceless girl.

“The offender exposed the complainant to sexually transmitted diseases, HIV and Aids as he had unprotected sexual intercourse with her,” he said.

Mr Mutiro expressed concern over an increase in sexual assaults involving minor children.

“Young girls have become a target of men who are unable to control their sexual desires. The offender continued to sexually assault the victim even after her family had relocated to another house,” he said.

“The victim’s parents would send her to collect groceries from the offender and that’s when he would rape her. There is a need for the court to protect young and vulnerable girls from such sex predators through passing harsh penalties,” ruled Mr Mutiro.

In his defence, the accused claimed that the charges were fabricated by the victim’s mother, who wanted to fix her after he broke up with her.

The prosecutor Mr Jethro Mada, told the court that the abuse began in 2018 when the accused lured the victim to his cottage under false pretences.

“The accused summoned the complainant, who was alone in the main house, to his cottage, ordered her into his bedroom and raped her,” he said.

The court heard that the accused then threatened to harm the complainant if she dared to tell anyone about the rape.

The abuse continued for several years until the complainant fell pregnant.

The matter came to light on December 10 last year when the victim’s mother heard rumours of her daughter’s pregnancy. She took the girl to an elderly woman from their church, who quizzed her. The teenager revealed that the accused was responsible for her pregnancy.

The case was reported to the police leading to the accused’s arrest.

The complainant was taken to United Bulawayo Hospitals (UBH) where a pregnancy test confirmed she was 25 weeks pregnant.