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Tanaka Mrewa, Court Reporter
A NKAYI teenager has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for raping his 22-year-old wheelchair-bound sister.

The teen threatened to stab his sister with a knife and set her hut on fire if she told anyone.

A court heard how the 19-year-old man barged into his sister’s room uttering obscenities and stripped her naked before he raped her.

The man, who cannot be named to protect his sister, pleaded not guilty to two counts of rape saying the allegations had been fabricated out of hate because he had rebuked his sister and mother.

“Your Worship, these two people are lying to this court. I never raped my sister. Actually she is angry at me because I told her off after she sold my four chickens and a goat without my consent. As for my mother, she has a string of boyfriends so I told her I won’t respect them and she got cross with me,” he said.

His sister testified that her brother threatened to burn her in her hut if she revealed the sex attack to anyone.

Bulawayo Regional Magistrate Mr Chrispen Mberewere convicted the teenager of rape and sentenced him to 15 years in jail.

“Three years will be suspended for five years on good behaviour. This court does not condone such behaviour. It’s shocking how you even managed to do something so hideous to your blood sister. This sentence will be a warning to other rapists out there that this court will never tire to incarcerate dangerous people. You are still young and have a lot to learn about life. Prison will help you to mature and realise the gravity of your offense. You couldn’t even consider that your sister is disabled and instead of protecting her you abused her,” said Mr Mberewere.

Mr Simbarashe Manyiwa for the state told the court that the teenager took advantage of his mother’s absence to rape his sister.

“Accused snatched a blanket that was covering complainant and stripped her. He raped her once. Later in the same month, accused stormed into complainant’s hut and uttered obscenities. He called her an arrogant woman. He raped her once again. He produced an okapi and threatened to set her hut on fire and burn her to death if she told anyone,” said the prosecutor.

@tannytkay.