News / National
Harare rapist tells magistrate rape is not a serious offence
20 Dec 2011 at 23:25hrs | Views
A HARARE man told a magistrate on Tuesday that rape was not a serious offence before he was sentenced to 11 years for raping a 15-year old girl.
Magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi said that Tedius Jeche (43) had committed a serious offence which deserved a custodial sentence.
"The offence is serious which Parliament saw fit to punish by a long custodial sentence," he said.
But during mitigation, Jeche said Mr Mutevedzi was unnecessarily making a non-serious offence look serious.
"That is a misplaced statement when it comes to rape," Mr Mutevedzi said before reading out the sentence.
Jeche raped the 15-year-old girl who had gone to his home in search of firewood.
He pleaded not guilty to rape charges but was convicted after a full trial. Jeche was slapped with 14 years, but three years were suspended on condition of good behaviour. Prosecutor Ms Sarah Bosha proved that on August 8 this year, the girl went with her brothers to Jeche's home to buy firewood.
He gave the girl's brothers a task to shell his maize as payment for firewood, while he took the girl to fetch the firewood on the pretext that he would not leave her behind since her brothers would bully her.
While in the bush, Jeche cut down the firewood and bundled them for the girl.
When the girl was about to lift the firewood he began fondling her breasts.
Jeche held her hand and walked for a short distance, saying he wanted to check if his wife was back home. When Jeche returned he removed the girl's undergarments before ordering her to lie down. He raped her once.
The girl's brothers started looking for her and called out her name leading to Jeche fleeing the scene. He was arrested after a police report was made.
Magistrate Mr Munamato Mutevedzi said that Tedius Jeche (43) had committed a serious offence which deserved a custodial sentence.
"The offence is serious which Parliament saw fit to punish by a long custodial sentence," he said.
But during mitigation, Jeche said Mr Mutevedzi was unnecessarily making a non-serious offence look serious.
"That is a misplaced statement when it comes to rape," Mr Mutevedzi said before reading out the sentence.
Jeche raped the 15-year-old girl who had gone to his home in search of firewood.
He pleaded not guilty to rape charges but was convicted after a full trial. Jeche was slapped with 14 years, but three years were suspended on condition of good behaviour. Prosecutor Ms Sarah Bosha proved that on August 8 this year, the girl went with her brothers to Jeche's home to buy firewood.
He gave the girl's brothers a task to shell his maize as payment for firewood, while he took the girl to fetch the firewood on the pretext that he would not leave her behind since her brothers would bully her.
While in the bush, Jeche cut down the firewood and bundled them for the girl.
When the girl was about to lift the firewood he began fondling her breasts.
Jeche held her hand and walked for a short distance, saying he wanted to check if his wife was back home. When Jeche returned he removed the girl's undergarments before ordering her to lie down. He raped her once.
The girl's brothers started looking for her and called out her name leading to Jeche fleeing the scene. He was arrested after a police report was made.
Source - Courts
