A Tsholotsho man, 41, has been sentenced to an effective 20 years in prison for repeatedly raping his daughter over a three-year period.
The horrific ordeal came to light in July this year when the victim, now 13, participated in a school programme on sexual abuse. This education empowered her to recognise the abuse she had suffered at the hands of her father, who began the assaults when she was just 10 years old.
The revelation led the young girl to confide in her teacher, who immediately accompanied her to a police station to report the matter. The accused, however, vehemently denied the allegations during his trial before Bulawayo regional magistrate, Mrs Dambudzo Malunga. He claimed his daughter fabricated the story in retaliation for his disciplinary actions following an incident where she stole textbooks from school. His defence, however, was rejected by the court.
The victim’s testimony painted a harrowing picture of abuse within the family home. She described her father as a violent and abusive man who had previously assaulted her stepmother, resulting in the stepmother losing her sight. She testified that the rapes occurred whenever her stepmother was absent from the home, leaving her vulnerable to her father’s predatory behaviour. The court heard that the father repeatedly threatened his daughter with violence if she ever revealed the abuse.
The prosecution, led by Mr Owen Mugari, detailed the first instance of rape, which occurred in 2021 at their homestead in Tsholotsho. The incident took place around 5pm after a disagreement had caused the stepmother to leave the home. Mr Mugari highlighted the repeated nature of the abuse, emphasising that the father repeatedly took advantage of his daughter’s vulnerability whenever her stepmother was away.
The court considered a medical report from Tsholotsho District Hospital, which examined the victim and provided crucial evidence in the case. Mr Mugari argued that the father, instead of protecting his daughter, had abused his position of trust and authority, causing irreparable harm. He further highlighted the accused’s history of violence against his wife, creating an environment where the daughter was left vulnerable to abuse. The trauma inflicted upon the young girl was so severe that she attempted suicide by ingesting fertiliser.
In mitigation, the accused pleaded for leniency, citing his responsibilities as the breadwinner for his two wives and eight children. However, Magistrate Malunga delivered a strong judgment, stating, “The victim made a report voluntarily without influence or coercion. The courts accept the victim’s version of events. The courts do not accept the offender’s assertion.”
The magistrate acknowledged the severity of the abuse and the devastating impact on the victim. She described the accused as a very abusive person who had committed a heinous crime.
