Byo man jailed 15 years for rape, theft

Taboka Tshuma, Sunday News Reporter

A 39-year-old man from Bulawayo was recently sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison after he raped a 35-year-old woman with an intellectual and physical disability.

According to a statement from the National Prosecution Authority, the accused person and the complainant used to see each other at a beer garden.

“On the 29th of May 2024 the accused person invited the complainant to drink beer with him. The accused person asked the complainant to accompany him to a nearby bush. Upon arrival in the bush, the accused person pushed the complainant to the ground, forcefully removed her clothes before raping her. After committing the offence he stole the complainant’s cellphone. The matter was reported to the Police and investigations led to the arrest of the accused person,” reads the statement.

The accused person was convicted and sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for rape, He was sentenced to a further 6 months imprisonment for theft of which 3 months were suspended.