Stepfather jailed 20 years for rape

not guilty to two counts of rape but was convicted by Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Godwin Sengweni.
He pleaded with the court to exercise lenience on him, saying he was HIV positive and prison conditions were not conducive.
Mr Mazhar Petkar told the court that the complainant and the stepfather used to stay together until the mother died sometime in 2003.
After the complainant’s mother had died, the informant, who was in good books with the girl’s mother, visited the house where the complainant was staying and was informed that the stepfather was no longer interested in staying with the child.
After failing to get a place of residence for the complainant, the informant decided to stay with the child from October 2008 and was informed that the child had been diagnosed to be HIV positive.
The child started exhibiting behavioural tendencies that were not consistent with her age and when she was questioned, the child revealed that the stepfather used to be intimate with her.
The girl allegedly told the informant that when her mother was still alive, she would order her to be intimate with the stepfather and that whenever she refused, the mother would beat her up.
The mother would allegedly stand guard as the stepfather was being intimate with her child.
On 7 April 2009, the informant made a report to the police leading to the stepfather’s arrest.