Online Reporter
Kimberley Chitambara [email protected]
THE 50-YEAR-OLD Bulawayo man who raped his 17-year-old visually impaired niece at knife point has been sentenced to 20 years in jail.
The accused, from Cowdray Park suburb, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity, appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Ms Sibonginkosi Mkandla facing rape charges and was found guilty.
In passing the sentence, the magistrate slapped him with an effective sentence of 20 years behind bars.
Prosecuting, Ms Tsungai Mutapi told the court that the incident occurred in April 2023 when the complainant visited her aunt, the accused’s wife.
Upon arrival, the accused offered to escort the teenager to the bedroom, claiming her aunt was there.
The court heard that once inside, he produced a knife, threatened to slit her throat if she screamed or reported him before removing the girl’s clothes and raped her.
The court heard that the victim did not report the rape immediately because she feared the accused.
She told the court that as someone visually impaired, she was terrified of what the accused might do to her after the explicit death threat.
The matter came to light last year when the complainant confided to another relative who reported the matter to the police, leading to the man’s arrest.
In her testimony, the complainant reiterated that fear prevented her from speaking out sooner.
She was taken to hospital for medical examination after the report and the doctor’s report was presented in court as an exhibit.
