Online Reporter
B-Metro Reporter
A 38-YEAR-OLD man has been sentenced to 40 years imprisonment for repeatedly raping his 14-year-old stepdaughter, leaving her pregnant.
The man, from Chinhoyi cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim.
Last week, a man from Tsholotsho was also sentenced to 40 years in prison for repeatedly raping his 19-year-old daughter until she fell pregnant.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the sexual assaults in Chinhoyi happened between May and July this year while the child’s mother was away and the girl was left in the man’s care with her younger siblings.
The brave teenager eventually opened up to her stepfather’s employer, who immediately reported the matter to the police, leading to the man’s arrest.
In a statement, the NPAZ said: “The offender’s behaviour is condemned as predatory and deeply traumatic. Society has the duty to protect vulnerable children from abuse within the home.”
He was sentenced to 40 years in prison, but 10 years were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving him to serve an effective 30 years behind bars.
The NPAZ said the punishment sends a clear warning to sexual predators hiding within families and communities. “Justice has been served, and this case reinforces the need for communities to stand up and protect children from sexual abuse,” the authority said.
Child rights advocates have urged parents, teachers, and neighbours to report all forms of sexual abuse, stressing that silence only protects offenders.
