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Lovemore Meya Court Correspondent
A 73-YEAR-OLD Chitungwiza man who sexually assaulted three girls aged between nine and 10 and gave them biscuits to buy their silence has been slapped with a nine-year jail term. The man, who is a neighbour of the girls, denied the charges during trial saying he suffered from erectile dysfunction and could therefore not sexually assault anyone. He appeared before Chitungwiza regional magistrate Ms Estere Chivasa facing rape and aggravated indecent assault charges.
Prosecutor Mr Karen Kunaka proved the man committed the offences. Ms Chivasa sentenced him to 12 years for raping a nine-year-old girl and suspended three years for five years. He was slapped with a five-year jail term for inserting his finger into the girl’s private parts.
On the last count, he fondled the other nine-year-old girl and was sentenced to six months in prison, all to run concurrently. The man’s lawyer, Mr Zivanai Makwanya, tried in vain to persuade the court to give an alternative sentence. “Incarcerating the accused person could be equal to death sentence considering the conditions in prison,” he said.
Ms Kunaka implored the court to punish the man as his moral blameworthiness was high. In handing down her sentence, Ms Chivasa said the man’s medical condition was exaggerated. Meanwhile, Prosper Dembedza reports that a Harare man allegedly raped his 21-year-old relative several times after lying to her that he was asked by her late mother to fall in love with her.
The 47-year-old man, who can’t be named to protect the identity of the victim, was charged with rape when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Hosiah Mujaya last week. He is expected back in court on December 7. Allegations are that some time in May this year, the man called his relative and told her that he was tasked by her late mother to take her as his girlfriend.
The court heard that the man told the relative that the process was called “kupingudza” in Shona. It is the State’s case that sometime in June he called the victim to his office and raped her. The man went on to rape the niece on two different occasions in September.
The court heard that the matter came to light on September 25 when the woman’s elder sister scrolled her phone and discovered chats between her and the man. The woman confessed to the sexual assault after being confronted by the elder sister. She was medically examined and the medical affidavit will be used as an exhibit.
in court.
Online Reporter