Serial rapist jailed 20 years

The conviction has been welcomed by the National Prosecuting Authority, which described the matter as a severe violation of trust and a grave crime against a vulnerable child.

Trust Freddy

Herald correspondent

A serial rapist from Masvingo has been jailed 20 years for raping and robbing three young girls.

Lancelot Munogwei (21) was convicted on several counts of rape and robbery after a full trial by Masvingo Magistrates Court.

It was successfully proven that Munogwei went on a crime spree between August 2022 to January 2023 where he targeted and waylaid young girls before raping and robbing them.

“On the 25th of August 2022 Munogwei raped a 17 year old girl in Chivi as she was on her way to school,” the court heard.

“He took advantage of the bushy path she used and struck her with open hands before raping and robbing her of her Samsung galaxy A34 phone.”

The court also heard that on December 23, 2022 he raped a 14 -year old girl in another village, Chivi and robbed her of a USD1 note at knife point.

Munogwei drew an okapi knife to threaten the girl before committing the crime.

The matter came to light after the complainant reported the matter to the police, describing the clothes that the accused person was wearing which led to his arrest.

This comes at a time when the country is grappling with cases of child marriages and sexual abuse of minors.

Government and other lobby groups have been calling for stiffer penalties for perpetrators as the country seeks to put an end to the scourge.