News / National
Man jailed for raping daughter
12 Jul 2017 at 06:54hrs | Views
A 66-YEAR-OLD man from Bulawayo was yesterday sentenced to 30 years in prison for raping his 15-year-old stepdaughter.
The man, a former nurse at Ingutsheni Central Hospital who lives at a flat in Barbourfields suburb, appeared before senior regional magistrate Mr Trynos Utahwashe facing three counts of rape.
He had pleaded not guilty but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
Passing sentence, Mr Utahwashe said: "You are hereby sentenced to 30 years imprisonment of which 10 years is suspended for 5 years on condition that you are not convicted of having within this period committed an offence of a similar nature."
Prosecutor Mr Robin Mukura said the accused had sexual intercourse with his stepdaughter on several occasions without her consent. He committed the offence each time her mother was away.
"On an unknown date in 2014 when the juvenile was in Grade 6, the accused sent the juvenile to his bedroom to look for his shoes while the complainant's mother was not at home. He followed the juvenile to the room, fondled her breasts three times and raped her," Mr Mukura said.
He said the accused secured the minor's silence by telling her that her mother would commit suicide if she got to know about the incident.
He added that he would be jailed leaving the minor to fend for herself.
The accused raped the girl on December 26, 2015 before violating the minor for the second time without protection.
He used the same threat to keep her silent, Mr Mukura said.
On June 23 this year, the accused raped the minor for the third time when she arrived home from school and found him alone.
Mr Mukura said: "On June 25, 2017 at around 5PM, the complainant's mother arrived home from church and the complainant decided to tell her about the abuse. The complainant's mother confronted the accused person. The accused instructed her to go to hospital and confirm if the girl was raped and report the matter to the police."
Mother and daughter reported the matter at the Barbourfields Police Post and the juvenile was medically examined at Mpilo Central Hospital.
The man, a former nurse at Ingutsheni Central Hospital who lives at a flat in Barbourfields suburb, appeared before senior regional magistrate Mr Trynos Utahwashe facing three counts of rape.
He had pleaded not guilty but was convicted due to overwhelming evidence.
Passing sentence, Mr Utahwashe said: "You are hereby sentenced to 30 years imprisonment of which 10 years is suspended for 5 years on condition that you are not convicted of having within this period committed an offence of a similar nature."
Prosecutor Mr Robin Mukura said the accused had sexual intercourse with his stepdaughter on several occasions without her consent. He committed the offence each time her mother was away.
"On an unknown date in 2014 when the juvenile was in Grade 6, the accused sent the juvenile to his bedroom to look for his shoes while the complainant's mother was not at home. He followed the juvenile to the room, fondled her breasts three times and raped her," Mr Mukura said.
He said the accused secured the minor's silence by telling her that her mother would commit suicide if she got to know about the incident.
He added that he would be jailed leaving the minor to fend for herself.
The accused raped the girl on December 26, 2015 before violating the minor for the second time without protection.
He used the same threat to keep her silent, Mr Mukura said.
On June 23 this year, the accused raped the minor for the third time when she arrived home from school and found him alone.
Mr Mukura said: "On June 25, 2017 at around 5PM, the complainant's mother arrived home from church and the complainant decided to tell her about the abuse. The complainant's mother confronted the accused person. The accused instructed her to go to hospital and confirm if the girl was raped and report the matter to the police."
Mother and daughter reported the matter at the Barbourfields Police Post and the juvenile was medically examined at Mpilo Central Hospital.
Source - chronicle
