A 53-year-old man from Tshinwanyani area in Beitbridge has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping his 9-year-old daughter.
The man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, pleaded not guilty to the charges but was convicted on the strength of the State’s evidence.
The court heard that the accused stayed together with his daughter in the Todi area while her mother was away.
The victim’s grandmother, who was living in the same area, took her to her homestead after intercepting her on her way to school. The grandmother and the victim then started staying together.
However, after school, the grandmother would accompany the Grade 1 girl to the accused’s place to sleep, where the man was sharing the same bedroom and blankets with her, like a husband and wife. During one night in June, the man woke up and raped the complainant.
A relative living in the same area realised that the accused and victim were sharing the same blankets at night like a married couple and informed the victim’s mother. On August 19, the complainant’s mother took her away from the accused and grandmother.
She interviewed her juvenile daughter about the sleeping arrangements and she disclosed the sexual abuse incident. The matter was reported to the police resulting in the man’s arrest.
Prosecuting, Miss Tsitsi Mutukwa told the court that the accused took advantage of his wife’s absence to commit this heinous act. She highlighted the vulnerability of the victim and the abuse of trust by the accused.
The sentence handed down by Beitbridge Regional Magistrate Mr Innocent Bepura sends a strong message against such acts of violence and abuse within families.
This case is unfortunately not an isolated incident. A few months ago, another 53-year-old Beitbridge based cross-border transporter was jailed for 42 years for raping his biological daughter for three years until she fell pregnant. The man started raping the woman from August 2020 from the age of 13 until she fell pregnant at the age of 16 years last year.
Another 67-year-old man is set to stand trial at the same court for raping his granddaughter.
These cases highlight the alarming prevalence of sexual abuse within families in Beitbridge and across Zimbabwe. It is a reminder of the need for increased awareness, support for victims, and stricter enforcement of laws against such crimes.
