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Mejury Magaya, Midlands Reporter

A 71-YEAR-OLD man from Zvishavane has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping an 11-year-old girl.

The accused was arrested after the girl narrated her ordeal to her teacher following a police victim friendly counselling session on rape and child abuse that was held at her school.

George Phiri, whose address was not given but is from Zvishavane, appeared before Gweru Regional Magistrate Mrs Phathekile Msipa facing one count of rape.

Phiri pleaded not guilty to the charge but was convicted.

Mrs Msipa handed Phiri a 12-year prison sentence and suspended two years on condition of good behaviour.

Phiri will therefore serve an effective 10 years in jail.

For the State, Mr Kelvin Guvheya said on March 15 this year, a victim friendly counselling session on rape and child abuse was conducted at the school by Zvishavane police officers.

Afterwards, the complainant went to her teacher and told her that she was raped by Phiri in his barber shop.

The court heard that the complainant`s grandmother was then called to the school.

Mr Guvheya said the complainant told her grandmother that she was called by Phiri on March 10 to his barber shop as she was coming from another barber shop.

Once inside Phiri’s barbershop, the old man raped her once.

A number of rapists have been exposed after police conducted campaigns at schools to fight crime. Some of those exposed are people close to their victims and in some instances the matters would have been swept under the carpet by relatives.