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Thandeka Moyo Court Reporter
A PLUMTREE man who delayed his sentencing last year by claiming that he was insane just after he was convicted of rape was yesterday sentenced to 14 years imprisonment after a psychiatric examination proved that he was mentally stable.

Possent Moyo, 35, allegedly raped a five-year-old girl once last year in January.

He immediately smeared mud on her thighs and bathed her after taking the minor to a pond in a bid to cover up the crime.

Moyo, a father of 11 and husband to two wives, begged regional magistrate Mark Dzira to consider his mental instability last year in September after he was convicted of raping the minor.

He told the court while giving evidence that he only washed the girl as she had come in contact with imbabazane — an itchy plant covered in stinging hairs — and he decided to help her.

“Your Honour I have 11 children, the eldest aged 17 and two wives.

“I experienced some seizures due to a mental problem I have and raped the girl while I was unaware of what I was doing,” said Moyo.

“I plead with the court to treat me basing on my insanity.”

The magistrate ordered that he be examined and it was proved that he was sane.

Moyo was back in court yesterday for sentencing.

“You’re therefore sentenced to 14 years imprisonment of which four years are suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour,” said magistrate Dzira.

The little girl testified that she was raped.

“He called us to the bush to give us honey. He then chased my sister away, grabbed me by the wrist and undressed me before throwing me onto the ground. He took his pencil (organ) and put it on my thing and left some pus on my thighs,” she said.

The state’s case led by Tinashe Dzipe is that on January 29 last year at around 8AM, the girl’s mother left her in the custody of two other children aged six and nine as she was going for a school meeting.

“Moyo, who resides in the same village in Madlambuzi, visited the children at around 12.30PM and took the two girls to a nearby bushy area. There, Moyo chased away the older girl and had unprotected sex with the four-year-old,” said Dzipe.

“After raping her, he took her to a pond where he bathed her and then took her back home.

“At around 4PM the girl’s mother came back and the girl informed her of what had transpired.”

Moyo was arrested a day after committing the crime.