adminThandeka Moyo Court Reporter
AN Inyathi man allegedly pounced on his 13-year-old stepdaughter while her mother had gone to hospital to give birth, a court heard yesterday.
The girl, who was allegedly barred from going to school, reported the matter to a headmistress in her community in the presence of her mother who alleged that the minor was lying.
Defending himself before regional magistrate Chrispen Mberewere yesterday, the man who cannot be named for legal reasons, said his stepdaughter was framing him.
The magistrate remanded him in custody to February 26.
“I didn’t stay with her while her mother was in hospital and she only moved in with us months afterwards. She is making all this up because we failed to secure her a job,” said the man.
The headmistress took to the witness stand and told the court that she had known the girl as someone who was failing to access education.
“The girl once visited me before revealing the rape incident at school and I wasn’t there. She then came to my house and when I asked who she was, she told me that her parents were abusive as they assaulted her, forced her to do heavy duties and denied her the right to education,” she said.
“As she was talking, her mother came and sat with us and that’s when she told me that her stepfather was having sexual intercourse with her.
“To my surprise her mother tried to silence her and she was quick to say she was lying.”
She told the court that the girl’s mother insisted on covering up for her husband saying her daughter was lying.
The headmistress said she told the girl’s mother that she was going to report the matter to the police and the man was arrested.
Prosecuting, Robin Mukura told the court that sometime during the period extending from February 2014 to April 2014, the girl was left in the custody of her stepfather while her pregnant mother proceeded to Inyathi District Hospital awaiting delivery.
The man was sharing the same bedroom with the girl as there is only one building at his homestead.
He took advantage of his wife’s absence and raped the girl on several occasions threatening to kill her if she revealed the matter to anyone.
After some time, the girl experienced some abdominal pains and told her mother about the sexual abuse, but she dismissed her.
Online Reporter