Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A 36-year-old man from Eastview in Ruwa has been sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing his 15-year-old stepdaughter, breaching her trust and concealing his HIV-positive status.
The abuse came to light when the girl’s mother discovered contraceptive pills hidden in her daughter’s blankets upon returning home.
After confronting her, the girl confessed having a sexual relationship with her stepfather.
The mother promptly reported the matter to the police, leading to the man’s arrest.
Presiding over the case, regional magistrate Mrs Jesse Kufa condemned the man’s actions as a gross abuse of parental trust and authority.
“The accused breached the trust placed in him as a stepfather. He purchased family planning pills for the minor, exposing her to potential side effects at such a tender age.
“He deliberately withheld his HIV-positive status and engaged in unprotected sex with the child. This behaviour is reprehensible,” said Mrs Kufa.
The court heard that the man has been on antiretroviral therapy (ART) since May 2017, as confirmed by a report from Ruwa Polyclinic. Fortunately, medical tests presented in court revealed that the complainant remains HIV-negative.
Aggravating factors, including the 21-year age gap, the deliberate concealment of his HIV status, and promises to marry the girl, far outweighed any mitigating circumstances, according to the magistrate.
The abuse reportedly began in November 2024, shortly after the girl’s biological mother left for her rural home in Mt Darwin following a domestic dispute with the stepfather.
Taking advantage of her absence, the man proposed to the girl and had intercourse with her until June 2025.
Prosecutor Mr Ngoni Kaseke appeared for the State.
