Online Reporter
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, [email protected]
A 36-year-old man from Filabusi in Insiza District has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison for repeatedly raping his 13-year-old niece while she was in his care.
The man, whose identity is being withheld to protect the minor, was convicted on two counts of rape by Gwanda regional magistrate Mr Sithembiso Ndebele.
Prosecuting, Ms Zanele Sithole told the court that the abuse took place in March, after the complainant’s mother had left her daughter in the custody of the accused while she travelled.
On one occasion, the court heard, the man lured the girl into his bedroom under the pretext of asking her to perform household chores. Once inside, he pushed her onto the bed and raped her. He then threatened to kill her if she told anyone about the incident.
Ms Sithole said the man raped the complainant again on another day, after ordering her to leave her friends. He continued to sexually assault her on several more occasions during the same month, taking advantage of her mother’s absence.
The offences only came to light in May, after the accused had relocated. The complainant confided in her mother, who then reported the matter to the police, leading to his arrest.
In his defence, the man denied the charges, claiming that the complainant’s mother had fabricated the allegations due to a personal dispute.
“Your Worship, I didn’t rape the complainant, as I regard her as my own daughter and I would never do something like that to her. We had a misunderstanding with the complainant’s mother as she was accusing me of stealing her money, yet I never took it,” he told the court.— @DubeMatutu
