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Thandeka Moyo, Court Reporter
A NINE-YEAR-OLD girl broke down in court and screamed in terror when she saw her father who allegedly raped her over three months.

Her father (41) from Nkayi, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the girl, allegedly reduced her to a sex slave.

A court heard the man threatened to assault his daughter if she told anyone about the sex bondage.

He ran out luck in March this year when villagers tipped off police that he was abusing his daughter.

The court heard the man was left caring for his two daughters when his wife died in 2009.

He appeared before regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira facing rape charges and was remanded in custody to today for commencement of trial.

His daughter who is now staying at a children’s home in Binga failed to testify as she broke down upon seeing her father in court.

Prosecuting Mr Tinashe Dzipe said sometime in January this year, the man called his daughter to his bedroom hut.

“He told her that she and her younger sister would start sleeping in his bedroom as they were no longer safe on their own at night.  The girl and her sister complied and started sharing the hut with their father,” said Mr Dzipe.

“During the night, the man undressed his daughter and instructed her to lie facing upwards. He raped her once.”

It is alleged that the man threatened to assault his daughter with a stick if she revealed the matter to anyone.

“The man continued bedding his daughter from that day. Sometime in March, police got a tip off from villagers who suspected that the man was sexually abusing his daughter as they were sharing a hut,” he said.

Mr Dzipe said investigations were carried out which led to the man’s arrest and the girl was taken to the hospital for a medical examination.