Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka, Court Correspondent
A 39-YEAR-OLD man from Kambuzuma, Harare, was on Thursday sentenced to an effective 30 years in prison after being found guilty of raping his 15-year-old daughter on three separate occasions.
Presiding magistrate Mrs Jesse Kufa treated the first two counts as one and handed down a sentence of 15 years for each count, resulting in a total 30-year jail term.
Prosecutor Mr Tendai Tapi told the court that the horrific incidents began on June 8 when the complainant was asleep in her bedroom while her father was in the dining room.
“The man entered her room holding an unidentified object, which he pressed against her neck, threatening to kill her if she disclosed what was about to happen,” Mr Tapi said.
“The father then restrained the complainant, forcing her hands onto her chest, and proceeded to rape her once, using protection.
“When questioned by the girl why he was sexually assaulting her, he reportedly told her that he “did not care”.”
Mr Tapi said that while the complainant was crying due to the assault, the father used two pieces of fabric to cover her mouth and face.
The ordeal, he said, continued the following night, on June 9, when the father returned to her room at midnight and raped her again. On June 10 at around 6 am, he sexually assaulted her for the third time.
The court heard that the victim confided in her uncle’s wife on June 9, narrating the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her father.
It was established during the trial that the victim’s parents had separated several years ago. Last year, the victim, who was due to write her Grade 7 examinations, was unable to do so because she did not have a birth certificate.
The father then requested custody of the child, claiming he would facilitate the acquisition of her birth certificate.
However, he failed to fulfil this promise and refused to return the child to her mother. The court also heard that the father raped his daughter after he had separated from the child’s stepmother.
The accused denied the charges during the trial, claiming the allegations were malicious and fabricated by the victim’s mother as part of a custody dispute.
However, the court found overwhelming evidence against him, leading to his conviction and sentencing.
