Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau
A 53-year-old man from Tshinwanyani area in Beitbridge was on Monday jailed for an effective 20 years for taking advantage of the absence of his wife to rape their nine-year-old daughter.
The man cannot be named for fear of exposing the victim.
The man pleaded not guilty to raping the grade one pupil before Beitbridge Regional Magistrate Mr Innocent Bepura but was convicted on the strength of the State’s evidence.
Prosecuting, Miss Tsitsi Mutukwa told the court that the accused stayed together with his daughter in the Todi area while her mother was away.
She said sometime in June this year the girl was intercepted by her grandmother while on her way to a local primary school who took her to her homestead, where they started staying together.
However, after school the grandmother would accompany her to the accused’s place to sleep, where the man was sharing the same bedroom and blankets with her.
During one night in June, the man woke up and raped the complainant once.
Later that month a relative living in the same area realised that the accused and victim were sharing same blankets at night and informed her mother.
On August 19, the complainant’s mother took her away from accused and grandmother.
She interviewed her about the sleeping arrangements and she disclosed the sexual abuse incident.
The matter was reported to the police resulting in the man’s arrest.
A few months ago, another 53-year-old Beitbridge based cross-border transporter was jailed for 42 years for raping his biological daughter for three years until she fell pregnant.
The man started raping the teenager from August 2020 from the age of 13 until she fell pregnant at the age of 16 years last year.
Another 67-year-old man is set to stand trial at the same court for raping his granddaughter.
Online Reporter