Father jailed 20 years for raping daughter

The Chitungwiza Regional Magistrates’ Court has sentenced a 48‑year‑old man to 20 years in prison for repeatedly raping his biological daughter, who was 15 years old when the abuse began.


The victim, now aged 17, was a student at the time and was living with the offender in South Africa. The court heard that the abuse occurred between March 2024 and August 2025.

On 22 March 2024, the girl attempted to escape an initial assault by pretending she needed to use the toilet. The offender chased her down the road, caught her and dragged her back into the house, where he assaulted her with fists and open hands.

The court was told that the man went on to commit unlawful sexual acts against the minor without her consent over a period of more than a year.

The court ordered that the 20‑year sentences for Counts 1 and 2 run concurrently, resulting in an effective 20‑year jail term.

“It is abhorrent that a biological parent, who is naturally tasked with the protection of a child, became the very source of their trauma,” the court ruled.

“This 20‑year sentence serves as a clear message that the law will pursue and punish the violation of children, regardless of where the crime began or the relationship between the parties involved.”