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Midlands Bureau
A 21-year-old man from Chirumhanzu has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping his 11-year-old niece.
The complainant is in Grade Four.
Talkmore Nago appeared before Gweru regional magistrate Mr Christopher Maturure yesterday.
He was facing one count of rape.
Nago was convicted on his own plea of guilty and received a 15-year prison sentence.
In passing the sentence, Mr Maturure said Nago took advantage of his close relationship with the minor (name withheld to protect her identity) and raped her.
He said Nago deserved a long custodial sentence to send a message to potential offenders that the court does not tolerate such crimes.
Prosecutor Mr Sibangani Dube said on an unknown date in April last year, the complainant was alone and sweeping inside the hut after her grandmother had gone to a funeral.
Mr Dube said Nago entered the hut and grabbed the complainant from behind.
“The accused person removed the complainant’s pants. She began screaming and attempted to flee, but Nago overpowered her and gagged her mouth with his hand,” Mr Dube said.
The accused person then pushed the complainant to the floor and raped her once.
She later disclosed the incident to her teacher following an awareness campaign on child sexual abuse, which led to the case being reported to the police and Nago’s subsequent arrest.
Online Reporter
Charles Duri