adminMashudu Netsianda Senior Court Reporter
A MAN from Plumtree who raped his neighbour’s nine-year-old daughter before giving her R2 and a packet of chips to buy her silence, was yesterday sentenced to 20 years in jail. David Mpofu, 28, of Mangubo village in Madlambuzi area, was convicted of rape by Bulawayo regional magistrate Mark Dzira.
Mpofu will serve an effective 17 years in jail after three years were suspended for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit a similar crime.
Dzira, in his judgment, expressed concern over an increase in the number of cases of child sexual abuse.
He said some of the cases of child abuse went undetected as some of the sex offenders were in the habit of threatening their victims.
The magistrate said rape was a traumatising experience which will haunt the victim for the rest of her life.
“What you did will certainly haunt the victim for the rest of her life. People like you need to go to jail for a very long time to deter other would-be sex offenders,” ruled Dzira.
Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said sometime last year, Mpofu saw the girl playing with her friends at her homestead in the afternoon.
The court heard that Mpofu grabbed the victim and took her to his bedroom hut where he undressed and raped her. The victim tried to scream, but Mpofu threatened to assault her.
“After raping the complainant, Mpofu took a packet of chips and gave her before releasing her,” said Dzipe.
A few days later, Mpofu went to the girl’s home and found her sitting in the kitchen alone.
He lifted her from her chair and took her to his bedroom where he placed her on his bed and raped her again. Mpofu gave the girl R2 and ordered her not to reveal the matter to anyone.
The matter came to light when the complainant developed sores on her private parts and she informed her grandmother who quizzed her and she narrated her ordeal.
Online Reporter