News / Local
Man (31) rapes stepdaughter (13), gets 20yrs in prison
05 Dec 2011 at 21:12hrs | Views
A Bulawayo man (31) will curse the day he decided to connive with a neighbour to lock up his 13-year-old stepdaughter in a room before raping her twice as he has been sentenced to 20 years in prison.
The incident occurred recently at Burombo Flats in Nguboyenja.
The man, (name withheld to protect the little girl) was convicted together with a female neighbour, whom he connived with to lock the girl inside the room where he went on to rape her. The neighbour was also sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Another accomplice was acquitted after she convinced the court that she had only visited a friend when the incident occurred.
However, the two will serve an effective 16 years in prison after Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira suspended four years of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
The girl was doing Grade Seven at a local primary school.
The duo pleaded not guilty to two charges of rape but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence. The court said the State proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that the man and his neighbour connived to sexually abuse the girl.
Although the woman was said to be a first offender, the magistrate said she should be given a deterrent sentence to prevent her or would-be offenders from committing a similar offence.
The man told the court that he is a prophet and makes about $300 per month. It was not clarified who the girl stayed with since her mother stayed with the stepfather while she stayed in a separate apartment in the same block of flats.
Mr Lewis Maunze for the State, told the court that on a date unknown to him but recently, at about 1pm, the girl was playing outside the hostel.
After hatching their plan, the man entered his room while the female neighbour (20) and another woman, called the girl from where she was playing.
The two women reportedly told the girl that her mother wanted to see her inside the room, and the girl went in.
The two women asked the little girl if she wanted a boyfriend, to which she said no.
The two women then forcibly pushed the girl inside the room where her stepfather was sitting and locked the door.
While inside alone with his stepdaughter, the man asked her if she wanted any money, and she said she did not want any.
Later on the man asked the girl if she would mind having sex with him and she refused, but he went on to rape her once on the sofa.
The man reportedly rested for some minutes before raping the girl again for the second time.
The court heard that the two women, who were on guard by the door, later unlocked the door after calculating time that the man could have finished his illicit act.
They reportedly instructed the girl not to tell anyone what had happened and further told her that even if she did no one was going to believe her.
The two women told the girl to implicate her stepfather's younger brother if ever the issue came to light.
The girl did not tell anyone until recently when she suspected she was pregnant and confided in her aunt.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the man and the woman.
The incident occurred recently at Burombo Flats in Nguboyenja.
The man, (name withheld to protect the little girl) was convicted together with a female neighbour, whom he connived with to lock the girl inside the room where he went on to rape her. The neighbour was also sentenced to 20 years in prison.
Another accomplice was acquitted after she convinced the court that she had only visited a friend when the incident occurred.
However, the two will serve an effective 16 years in prison after Bulawayo regional magistrate Mr Mark Dzira suspended four years of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
The girl was doing Grade Seven at a local primary school.
The duo pleaded not guilty to two charges of rape but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence. The court said the State proved its case beyond reasonable doubt that the man and his neighbour connived to sexually abuse the girl.
Although the woman was said to be a first offender, the magistrate said she should be given a deterrent sentence to prevent her or would-be offenders from committing a similar offence.
The man told the court that he is a prophet and makes about $300 per month. It was not clarified who the girl stayed with since her mother stayed with the stepfather while she stayed in a separate apartment in the same block of flats.
Mr Lewis Maunze for the State, told the court that on a date unknown to him but recently, at about 1pm, the girl was playing outside the hostel.
After hatching their plan, the man entered his room while the female neighbour (20) and another woman, called the girl from where she was playing.
The two women reportedly told the girl that her mother wanted to see her inside the room, and the girl went in.
The two women asked the little girl if she wanted a boyfriend, to which she said no.
The two women then forcibly pushed the girl inside the room where her stepfather was sitting and locked the door.
While inside alone with his stepdaughter, the man asked her if she wanted any money, and she said she did not want any.
Later on the man asked the girl if she would mind having sex with him and she refused, but he went on to rape her once on the sofa.
The man reportedly rested for some minutes before raping the girl again for the second time.
The court heard that the two women, who were on guard by the door, later unlocked the door after calculating time that the man could have finished his illicit act.
They reportedly instructed the girl not to tell anyone what had happened and further told her that even if she did no one was going to believe her.
The two women told the girl to implicate her stepfather's younger brother if ever the issue came to light.
The girl did not tell anyone until recently when she suspected she was pregnant and confided in her aunt.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of the man and the woman.
Source - chronicle
