Online Reporter
Zvikomborero Parafini
A POLICE officer has been jailed for an effective 22 years after he was convicted of raping one of his daughters TWICE and indecently assaulting her sister on THREE occasions.
On all occasions, his wife was away at work.
The man’s identity has been withheld to protect the identities of his children.
Mbare regional magistrate, Fadzai Mthombeni, convicted the man on two counts of rape and three counts of indecent assault.
He was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the rape counts and two years for the three indecent assault counts, leaving him with an effective 22-year prison term.
Vimbai Makamure prosecuted.
The court heard that the offences were committed on different occasions this year with the father allegedly taking advantage of periods when the children were left in his company.
On the first rape count, the State proved that the man raped his daughter at the family home after her mother had gone to work and her siblings were away.
After raping her, he threatened to beat her up if she told anyone about the abuse.
The same child was raped again on August 9.
The court heard that she fell asleep while watching television and later woke up to find her father raping her.
The man again threatened her if she disclosed the abuse.
The other daughter was subjected to three separate indecent assaults.
On one occasion, her father took her to a canteen, where he was working, and indecently assaulted her while they were alone.
When she protested and threatened to tell her mother, he allegedly threatened to beat her up if she disclosed what had happened.
The court heard that he indecently assaulted the child again while they were alone at home after her siblings had gone to fetch water.
The third incident occurred on July 29 when the child remained at home to care of a younger sibling who was unwell while her mother was at work.
