Chronicle Editor
Fairness Moyana in Hwange
A 26-year-old Lupane man has been slapped with a 20-year jail term for raping and indecently assaulting his two nieces aged 12 and nine after they were left in his custody by his sister.
The man took advantage of the absence of his sister to indecently assault them before raping the 12-year-old one.
He pleaded not guilty to two counts of indecent assault and one of rape arguing that there were fabricated by the complainants’ mother who is his sister who he said allegedly hated him.
Hwange regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira, however, convicted him on all the counts before sentencing him to 12 months imprisonment for indecent assault and an additional 20 years for rape.
The State’s case as presented by prosecutor, Mr Mncedisi Dube was that sometime in March this year the complainant aged 12 and her nine-year-old younger sister were left in the company of their uncle.
On an unknown date during the same month around 6 am while the complainant and her younger sister were preparing to go to school the uncle entered their bedroom and started indecently assaulting the 12-year-old girl without her consent while the nine-year-old was watching.
He also did the same act on the nine-year-old. The complainants told their uncle that they were going to tell their mother about the matter but he threatened them.
The court heard that he told them he would make them disappear if they revealed what had happened to anyone. The man repeated the act several times on different occasions on his two nieces.
The State further told the court that the man later raped the 12-year-old girl on an unknown date.
The matter came to light sometime in May when the complainant’s aunt came from Bulawayo and the two girls narrated the offence to her.
The aunt went to the police and filed a report on 14 May 2024.
The complainant was referred to St Luke’s Hospital for medical examination which was presented in court as an exhibit leading to the arrest of the man and his subsequent court appearance.
Online Reporter