Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo
Court Correspondent
HARARE regional magistrate, Mr Musaiona Shotgame, has sentenced a man to 40 years in prison after finding him guilty of five counts of raping his niece over five years, starting in 2020.
The victim, now aged 13 and a Grade 7 pupil, was impregnated by her uncle, who is the husband of her mother’s sister.
The court heard that the uncle, whose name is withheld to protect the identity of the victim, began sexually assaulting the girl in 2020 when she was eight-years-old.
The abuse continued until late last year while the girl was living in his home, as her mother was residing elsewhere.
The accused was initially handed a total sentence of 50 years, with 20 years for the first two counts, 15 years for count three and 15 years each for counts four and five.
However, the sentences for counts three and four will run concurrently.
Ten years of the total sentence were suspended on condition of good behaviour, leaving the man to serve an effective 40-years in jail.
Prosecutor, Ms Mercy Masamvi, called for a heavy sentence, citing the man’s betrayal of trust, his threats to kill the girl’s siblings if she disclosed the abuse, and the devastating impact on the victim’s life.
Despite being a bright learner who recently completed her Grade 7 with 8 units, the girl’s education has been disrupted due to her pregnancy.
Prosecutor Ms Masamvi presented evidence that on December 25, 2020, at Matuku Village in Murehwa, the girl was at home with her cousins when the uncle entered her bedroom and raped her.
He was interrupted when one of the girl’s cousins called her from outside.
He later threatened to kill her siblings if she revealed the ordeal.
In another incident in January 2021, the uncle assaulted the girl and her cousin, accusing them of drinking his beverage.
That same night, while the girl was asleep in the dining room with her cousins, the uncle raped her before returning to his bedroom.
The abuse continued, with the uncle assaulting the girl again in January last year while she was sharing a room with her siblings.
The final reported incident occurred in November last year, with the abuse coming to light after neighbours advised the girl’s biological mother to have her tested for pregnancy.
She was taken to Sally Mugabe Family Support Clinic, where she disclosed the years of sexual abuse.
In delivering the sentence, magistrate Mr Shotgame condemned the uncle for exploiting the trust placed in him as a guardian.
The court acknowledged the severe psychological and physical harm inflicted on the victim, emphasising the need for a lengthy sentence to deter similar crimes.
