Rapist dad jailed 20 years

Thupeyo Muleya, Beitbridge Bureau

THE 53-year-old man from Tshinwanyani area in Beitbridge who took advantage of his wife’s absence to rape their nine-year-old daughter was yesterday sentenced to an effective 20 years in jail.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim, pleaded not guilty to raping the girl before Beitbridge regional magistrate, Mr Innocent Bepura.

He was, however, convicted due to overwhelming evidence. Prosecuting, Miss Tsitsi Mutukwa said 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 two were sharing the same bedroom and blankets.

During one night in June, the accused woke up and raped the complainant once. Later that month, a relative living in the same area realised that the accused and the complainant were sharing the same blankets and informed her mother.

On August 19, the complainant’s mother took her away from accused and grandmother. She then interviewed her about the sleeping arrangements and she disclosed the sexual abuse. The matter was then reported to the police, leading to accused’s arrest.

A few months ago, another 53-year-old Beitbridge based cross-border transporter was jailed for 42 years for raping his daughter for three years until she fell pregnant.

The man started raping the teenager from August 2020 when she was 13 years old until she fell pregnant at the age of 16 last year. Another 67-year-old man is set to stand trial at the same court for raping his granddaughter.