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Fungai Lupande Court Reporter
A 52-year-old HIV positive man was yesterday sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping his blind friend’s 12-year-old daughter threatening the girl with a six-gear okapi knife.
The man, who told the court that his HIV had progressed to Aids, pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Simon Kachambwa.
Mr Kachambwa sentenced the man to 40 years in jail and suspended 10 years on condition in the next five years he does not commit an offence of a sexual nature.
In passing sentence, Mr Kachambwa said although the girl tested negative the man had left a permanent scar.
“Accused was a family friend and father figure to the minor and he turned into a sexual predator, taking advantage of his blind friend, raping his daughter whom he was trusted with,” he said
Prosecutor Mr Michael Reza in aggravation told the court that the girl was turned into a woman before her age.
In mitigation the man told the court that he is a widower with one child aged 13.
“I am praying that I don’t get incarcerated because I am a sick person. I am HIV positive and the virus has since progressed to Aids,” he said.
Mr Reza told the court that on an unknown date, but on a Sunday, last year in the afternoon the accused paid his friend a visit and gave the minor a tender hug upon arrival .
After a few minutes the girl developed stomach pains and the man insisted that she accompany him to his house to get ginger roots to heal the stomach pains.
At the man’s house, he dragged the girl to his bedroom while one hand was gagging her mouth. He raped her and threatened her not to tell anyone before giving her the ginger roots.
Two days later around 8pm, the girl was attending a church service when the man told her they must go home since it was late.
The pair proceeded home and on approaching Stodart Complex, the girl advised the man that she will proceed home alone. However, the rapist insisted that he wanted to give her a parcel for her father.
They went to his house and the man dragged the girl into his bedroom where he raped her, threatening her with a six gear okapi knife.
The girl went home and remained silent.
On October 28, the man met the girl at Dhumbujena Street in Mbare and he dragged the girl to his house insisting that she should visit his mother since she had not done so in a long time.
At his house the man dragged the minor to his bedroom and raped her. He threatened her again with the six gear okapi knife before sending her home.
The girl opened up to her teacher and the matter was reported to the police.
Online Reporter