Zimpapers Logo

Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent

A 46-YEAR-OLD Gwanda man has been jailed 18 years for raping his 15-year-old step daughter on several occasions.

The man from Garanyemba area who cannot be named for ethical reasons pleaded not guilty to a charge of rape but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence by Gwanda regional magistrate, Mrs Sibonginkosi Mkandla.

The man was sentenced to 18 years imprisonment of which three years were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.

Prosecuting, Mr Khumbulani Nyoni said the man raped his step daughter when she had been left under his custody.

”Sometime in November last year the juvenile was alone at home with her step father while her mother had travelled to her rural home to attend a funeral. He called the complainant into his bedroom and instructed her to sweep the floor. While the complainant was sweeping the accused person started caressing her and told her that she was now old enough to have sexual intercourse.

“The complainant moved away from the accused person to stop him from touching her further. The accused person locked the bedroom door from inside and ordered the complainant to sleep on the bed and remove her clothes and threatened to assault her if she didn’t comply. The complainant complied and the accused raped her once and warned her against reporting the matter to her mother,” he said.

Mr Nyoni said the complainant remained quiet about the matter. She said the accused person raped the complainant on four other occasions between November last year and March this year while her mother was away.

He said the matter came to light in April this year when the complainant revealed to her friend what the accused person had done to her.

“Her friend further told her mother who then confronted the complainant’s mother about the matter. The complainant was questioned by her mother and she revealed what the accused person had done to her. The matter was reported to the police resulting in the man’s arrest,” said Mr Nyoni.

In his defence the man denied sexually abusing his step daughter. He said the complainant was in a habit of not sleeping at home whenever her mother was not around and all he did was reprimand her.

@DubeMatutu