Rapist dad gets 34 years

Elizabeth Tsuro, Midlands Reporter
A MAN has been jailed for 34 years for raping his two daughters aged seven and 11 years whom he shared the same bed with after divorcing their mother.

The man, from Village Gasura in Gokwe, whose identity is being withdrawn to protect the identity of the children, was jailed by Kwekwe-Gweru magistrate Amos Mbobo on two counts of rape. He had denied the allegations, but was convicted after his children testified against him.

“He would rape us and assault us so that we won’t tell anyone that he’s forcibly having sex with us,” one of the girls said in camera.

Magistrate Mbobo sentenced the man to 17 years for count one and another 17 years for the second count. Four years were conditionally suspended for five years.

Robert Ndlala, prosecuting, told the court that between January and May last year, the man, who was divorced, raped his daughters whom he lived with. “He would sleep and share the same bed and blankets with his two daughters and would wake up during the night and have sexual intercourse with them,” said Ndlala.

The court heard that each time after raping them, he would assault the girls and threaten them with physical harm if they told anyone.

The prosecutor said the matter came to light when one of the girls told a villager who then informed social welfare officers. Ndlala said the officers went to the homestead and questioned the two children who told them that their father started raping them after their mother left their home.