Munyaradzi Musiiwa Midlands Correspondent
A 32-year-old man from Zhombe in Kwekwe District has been slapped with a 30-year jail term for raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter twice.

The man from Mujumi village under Chief Malisa, was convicted of two counts of rape by Kwekwe regional magistrate, Amos Mbobo and was sentenced to 15 years in jail on each count.

He will however serve an effective 20 years in prison after five years on each count were suspended on condition of good behaviour. In passing sentence, Mbobo said the accused betrayed the complainant who looked up to him for protection and parental love.

He said the accused had violently raped the minor and should therefore be incarcerated for a long time.

“Increased rape cases are a cause for concern and what’s worrying is that most victims are young and defenceless children. Stiffer penalties are therefore called for in order to deter would be offenders,” said Mbobo.

It was the State’s case as presented by Robert Ndlala that the accused was married to the girl’s mother and they were staying together.

Sometime in January last year, the accused followed his stepdaughter to the grazing area where she was herding cattle in the company of other children from the same village.

“The accused called the girl and went to a nearby bush where he tripped her to the ground and raped her once before threatening to kill her if she reported the matter to anyone,” said Ndlala.

On another day during the same month, Ndlala said the accused again followed his stepdaughter to the fields and raped her before threatening her with death.

He said the girl went and told her mother who reported the matter to the police leading to the accused’s arrest.

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