A woman who was raped by her father together with her younger sister resulting in her falling pregnant stunned the court when she begged the magistrate not to jail their father saying no one will look after his child.
The ordeal started when the now 23-year-old woman was aged 13. The woman made cries for an out of jail sentence when she was giving her victim impact statement.
“What my father did traumatised me. But I’m getting better. I kindly beg this honourable court not to send my father to jail because there is no one who will look after the child he sired with me.”
She added: “The situation is beyond my control as I’m not employed and he is the only breadwinner in our family.”
This was after her 53-year-old father appeared before Bulawayo regional magistrate Sibonginkosi Mnkandla facing two counts of rape.
He pleaded not guilty to the charge. However, after the trial, he was found guilty and was convicted for both counts and sentenced to serve 40 years in jail.
The magistrate suspended five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within a period of five years, meaning he will effectively serve 35 years behind bars.
In sentencing him the magistrate said the man failed to be a father figure to his two daughters. She said instead of protecting them, he ƨǝxuɑlly violated them thereby depriving them of their youthful lives.
She also said the vile man wasted the court’s time by denying it while there was overwhelming evidence nailing him. The court further said such uncouth behaviour has to be rooted out of the society and the children have to be protected from such men. The magistrate said the man deserved to reform in jail.
The court heard that the man stayed with his two daughters and his father at his homestead in Tsholotsho, Matabeleland North Province.
His older daughter fell ill and suffered from epilepsy. She would sleep in the same room with his grandfather. The man would wake up during the night and tiptoe to his daughter’s room and would rape her.
The court heard that since 2014, the man would ƨǝxuɑlly attack his older daughter either in the kitchen or in her bedroom. The court heard that he would bash his older daughter when he saw her or found her talking to any person as he feared that she would disclose the rape ordeal. The daughter fell pregnant in August 2021.
It is alleged that on certain occasions from 2016 until sometime in 2021 he would ƨǝxuɑlly assault his younger daughter who is now aged 18.
It is said sometime in July 2021 the younger daughter learned about ƨǝxuɑl abuse at school, after that she confronted her father and ordered him to stop ƨǝxuɑlly attacking her.
The court heard that he agreed to stop on condition that she does not fall in love with anyone.
The matter came to light when the accused saw his older daughter talking to his uncle and suspected that they were having an affair and later thrashed her with an electrical cable.
The matter was reported to the police and the rape ordeal was also reported. BMetro.
