Online Reporter
Belindah Chikandiwa
THE Harare Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a father to 30 years in prison for the repeated sexual assault of his 15-year-old daughter.
He claimed the abuse was a form of punishment for her alleged relationship with a family member.
The victim suffered this abuse on four separate occasions and lived in fear due to her father’s threats of violence if she spoke out.
The assaults occurred whenever the father was alone with the victim at home.
Overwhelmed by the trauma, the girl eventually confided in her mother.
Initially too scared to act, her mother later found the strength to inform neighbours, leading to the involvement of the police.
The father was found guilty on four counts of rape, resulting in the lengthy prison sentence.
In a separate case, a 48-year-old man received a 25-year sentence for sexually abusing a 13-year-old girl over several years, beginning when she was just 10-years-old.
The abuse took place at his home, where the girl would visit to watch television.
To silence her, he bribed her with money and gifts of underwear.
The situation came to light when the girl’s mother became suspicious of the new underwear her daughter had, prompting her to question the girl and ultimately uncovered the abuse.
