A Mutare man has been sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for the rape of his 15-year-old neighbour.
The 35-year-old perpetrator was found guilty of drugging his victim and subsequently assaulting her at her home on August 30th. The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) detailed the events leading to the conviction in a statement on X (formerly Twitter).
According to the NPAZ statement, the accused visited the complainant’s home on August 30th, ostensibly looking for her younger brother. Upon finding the complainant and her brother at home alone, he offered them juice.
“When he got there he found out that the complainant’s brother was not at home, instead he found the complainant and her younger brother alone at home. He offered them some juice whereupon they both felt dizzy after taking the juice,” the statement reads.
Following this incident, the accused returned to the complainant’s home. He attempted to grab the complainant, but she managed to escape to her parents’ bedroom. However, the accused followed her, overpowering her and committing the rape.
“The accused person followed her to the bedroom where he covered her mouth using a pillow, removed her clothes and raped her,” the NPAZ statement continues.
The perpetrator was only interrupted when he heard the complainant’s father’s motorbike approaching. He fled the scene, leaving behind his shorts, shirt, and leather jacket.
In a disturbing twist, the accused then returned to the complainant’s home and falsely accused her and her brother of stealing his belongings. This led to the complainant’s father assaulting her.
The statement explains, “He jumped out through the window, left his short, shirt and leather jacket as he fled the scene. He returned later and accused the complainant and her brother of stealing the clothes and his mobile phone.”
“The complainant’s father believed the accused person’s story about the theft and assaulted the complainant who ran away to her mother who was at a funeral and confided in her about the offence.”
It was only after confiding in her mother, who was attending a funeral at the time, that the complainant revealed the rape. A police report was subsequently filed, leading to the arrest and prosecution of the accused.
The NPAZ statement concludes, “A Police report was made leading to the arrest of the accused person,” and “He was convicted and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment of which two years were suspended. He will serve 18 years effectively.”
