adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A 38-year-old man from Mpanya area in Ward 14 of Beitbridge West has been jailed for an effective 20 years for raping his stepdaughter twice.
The convict was arrested after the intervention of fellow villagers and the police victim friendly unit. The man (name withheld) pleaded not guilty to two counts of raping his stepdaughter, who is in Grade 7, when he appeared before Beitbridge Regional Magistrate Mr Crispen Mberewerere last week.
The convict was initially jailed for 30 years (15 years for each count) before 10 years of his sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour. The complainant is one of the six girls aged between nine and 12 years, who have been sexually abused in Ward 14 by close relatives in the last five three years.
Prosecuting, Mr Manyonga Kuvarega said sometime in December last year, the convict left home with his step-daughter to look for firewood in the bush. He said the accused raped her once. The court also heard that on January 7 this year, the convict and the complainant went fishing at Zhovhe Dam.
Mr Kuvarega said they used a small foot path and along the way the man forced himself on the girl once and they proceeded with the journey.
The matter came to light when some villagers noticed some unusual behaviour exhibited by the girl.
Online Reporter