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A 40-year-old man has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping his neighbour’s 13-year old daughter and impregnating her.
He gave the girl, who is reportedly two months pregnant $1.Tendai James Mukute pleaded not guilty to three counts of rape when he appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Sikhumbuzo Nyathi yesterday.
He was sentenced to 15 years in prison of which three years were suspended for five years. Mukute, of House Number 1184 Mahatshula North, will serve an effective 12 years in jail. Initially he was staying in Kingsdale where he shared a house with the girl’s parents and has changed residence three times since the incident.
Sometime in July, Mukute met the girl at Kingsdale shops and persuaded her to accompany him to his house and promised to give her a dollar.
While at home, Mukute sent his children to play outside the house and remained inside with the girl. He had sexual intercourse with her thrice and called his children to accompany her out after giving her the $1.
In his defence, Mukute said the girl was framing him. The court ruled that there were more aggravating circumstances in his case than mitigatory factors.
Mr Tinashe Dzipe for the State said Mukute was supposed to act as a parent to the girl because of the age difference of 27 years but he failed to do so.
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