adminMunyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
A 24-YEAR-OLD man from Gokwe has been sentenced to 16 years in jail after he was caught red-handed by his stepmother raping his 10-year-old half-sister. The man from Muvhimbi Village under Chief Chireya in Gokwe pleaded not guilty to rape but was however, found guilty by Kwekwe-Gokwe regional magistrate Mr Amos Mbobo. “Your Worship, I did not rape my sister. My step-mother hates me so much that she made a false report against me,” he said.
Passing sentence, Mr Mbobo said the evidence provided showed that the accused committed the offence.
“Instead of protecting your half-sister from other men, you went on and sexually abused her. After considering evidence laid against you, it is clear you committed the offence. You are therefore sentenced to 16 years of which two years are suspended for five years if you do not commit a similar offence,” he said.
Giving her evidence in camera, the 10-year-old girl said she was saved from the sexual abuse the moment her mother walked in. “I woke up and noticed that my brother was on top of me, he covered my mouth and raped me and I was only saved when my mother walked in,” she said.
Prosecuting, Mr Robert Ndlala told the court that on a date unknown but in the month of October last year, the man went into the kitchen where his sister was sleeping with her five-year-old neighbour and sexually abused her.
The court heard that the accused upon being busted, stood up shivering and pleaded with his stepmother not to report the matter to the police. The matter was later reported to the police leading to his arrest.
Online Reporter