Rapist gets 20 years

Daniel Chigunwe Bindura Correspondent
A rapist from Chief Masembura’s area will spend the next 20 years in jail after he raped a 10-year-old girl at knifepoint. Isaac Tsapo (37) appeared before Bindura magistrate Mr William Bhila last week. According to the State, sometime in February the minor and a five-year-old girl were left alone at their village homestead by their guardian who had travelledto Bin- dura.

The accused then took advantage of the absence of the woman and invited the minor to his bedroom where he raped her once while brandishing a knife. The minor then told the accused’s mother who took no action.

On a later date the child’s mother visited after she heard that her daughter was failing to control her urine. The mother took her to a clinic where she revealed the rape.

In his defence, the accused denied the charges saying on that particular day he was not home and he only visits once in a while. However, the accused’s two sisters and their mother’s testimonies were found to be inconsistent in narrating what happened on the day the girl was raped.

The magistrate, in passing the sentence, said that the court was merciless on cases of rape as it is a “violent denigration of womanhood”.