Rapist offers victim $1

A 34-YEAR-OLD Buhera man who left his wife at home and raped a 12-year-old girl before giving her a $1 to buy her silence will spend the next 16 years behind bars after he was convicted of rape by a Rusape regional court.

Regional magistrate, Mrs Loice Mukunyadze, did not have kind words for Farai Chitsamba, whom she said was supposed to quench his sexual desires on his wife and not abuse the minor.

District public prosecutor, Mr Tirivanhu Mutyasira, pressed for a lengthy jail term, saying Chitsamba was only lucky that he was convicted before the new amendments to the Criminal Law (Codification and Reform) Act which now calls for a 60-year mandatory sentence to those who rape minors.

Mrs Mukunyadze sentenced Chitsamba to 18 years, but set aside two years on condition of good behaviour. Mr Mutyasira said Chitsamba of Chatya Village under Chief Nyashanu committed the offence on March 21.

"At around 5pm, the complainant was on her way to look for stray turkeys when she met the accused person. Chitsamba lured the girl to a bush where he was standing," he said. Since the girl knew Chitsamba, she complied and proceeded to where he was.

"As soon as she arrived, Chitsamba grabbed the minor and pushed her to the ground. He raped her once. The girl tried to scream for help, but he threatened her with death," said Mr Mutyasira. After committing the offence, he gave the minor a $1 in a bid to buy her silence. The girl went home and she did not tell anyone as she feared the death threats.

"The matter only surfaced last month when the girl's grandmother instructed her to go to church and she refused. The grandmother later told the girl's mother that her daughter was refusing to go to church. She was confronted over the issue and later disclosed that she was afraid to go to church as she will be waylaid by the suspect who once raped her," said Mr Mutyasira.

The matter was then reported to the police resulting in Chitsamba's arrest. Chitsamba denied the charge, saying the minor was fabricating the rape story as he was away during the time the crime was committed. However, the State provided overwhelming evidence which warranted a conviction.

In an unrelated case, a 26-year-old man from Mutare's Hobhouse high-density suburb last Saturday allegedly snatched his niece from a party and lured her to nearby shops where he raped her.

The man was arrested and appeared in court on Monday facing rape charges. He was not asked to plead when he appeared before Mutare magistrate, Mr Lazarus Murendo, while Mr Fletcher Karombe prosecuted. The court heard that the uncle took her to Magada Shopping Centre in Hobhouse at around 6pm.

"Upon arrival, he took the girl behind the shops where he raped her. He took the girl back home at around 9pm. "After a while, the girl's mother found her in the toilet undressed. She interviewed her and she revealed that her uncle had raped her. She further observed some bloodstains on the girl's undergarment," said Mr Karombe.

A medical report confirmed that penetration was effected. A blood-stained undergarment was also recovered.

The uncle was remanded in custody to 7.