News / Local
Soldier rapes job seeker
01 Jul 2015 at 15:29hrs | Views
A MARRIED 25-year-old soldier was yesterday slapped with a 16-year-jail sentence after being convicted of raping a domestic worker whom he took to Manor Hotel in Bulawayo claiming it was his residence.
Evans Nyathi, a father of three children who had been out of custody for the duration of his trial, will, however, serve 12 years in prison after senior regional magistrate Mark Dzira conditionally suspended four years.
Nyathi, of Llewellin Barracks, took advantage of the 17-year-old maid who had only been in Bulawayo for two weeks after arriving from her rural home.
Passing sentence yesterday, Dzira condemned the behaviour of like-minded men saying they were the reason why women no longer trusted men.
"Rape cases are now a burden and no wonder why many women's groups are advocating for stiffer penalties to be imposed on offenders.
"As a member of the National Army, you were supposed to protect the girl but you maximised on the fact that she was not familiar with Bulawayo," said magistrate Dzira.
"The trauma you caused her will forever haunt the victim and it's better if you're given a custodial sentence. You're therefore sentenced to 16 years in prison of which four years are suspended for five years on condition that you do not commit a similar offence? he said.
In mitigation, Nyathi told the court that he was a married father of three. He also stuck to his claim that he never raped the teenager.
Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said sometime in October last year, the woman met Nyathi and his two friends on her way to Basch Street Terminus popularly known as Egodini, and snatched away the RIO sne was carrying.
"Nyathi intimidated the girl using his profession and she followed him into Manor Hotel where he raped her once. He disappeared and left the girl with his two friends who also requested for sexual favours. One of the men took the girl to his home," said Dzipe.
"The friend later dragged the girl to his house and upon arrival the girl refused to have sex. He then chased the girl out of his house and the girl made a police report"
Dzipe said the girl managed to identify Nyathi's friend who led police to his residence.
"Nyathi was arrested and the girl was taken to hospital for medical examination which confirmed that she had been raped," said Dzipe.
Evans Nyathi, a father of three children who had been out of custody for the duration of his trial, will, however, serve 12 years in prison after senior regional magistrate Mark Dzira conditionally suspended four years.
Nyathi, of Llewellin Barracks, took advantage of the 17-year-old maid who had only been in Bulawayo for two weeks after arriving from her rural home.
Passing sentence yesterday, Dzira condemned the behaviour of like-minded men saying they were the reason why women no longer trusted men.
"Rape cases are now a burden and no wonder why many women's groups are advocating for stiffer penalties to be imposed on offenders.
"As a member of the National Army, you were supposed to protect the girl but you maximised on the fact that she was not familiar with Bulawayo," said magistrate Dzira.
In mitigation, Nyathi told the court that he was a married father of three. He also stuck to his claim that he never raped the teenager.
Prosecuting, Tinashe Dzipe said sometime in October last year, the woman met Nyathi and his two friends on her way to Basch Street Terminus popularly known as Egodini, and snatched away the RIO sne was carrying.
"Nyathi intimidated the girl using his profession and she followed him into Manor Hotel where he raped her once. He disappeared and left the girl with his two friends who also requested for sexual favours. One of the men took the girl to his home," said Dzipe.
"The friend later dragged the girl to his house and upon arrival the girl refused to have sex. He then chased the girl out of his house and the girl made a police report"
Dzipe said the girl managed to identify Nyathi's friend who led police to his residence.
"Nyathi was arrested and the girl was taken to hospital for medical examination which confirmed that she had been raped," said Dzipe.
Source - chronicle
