Herdsman jailed 12 years for boss' daughter rape

A 28-YEAR-OLD herdsman from Gwanda has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for raping his employer's 11-year-old daughter after she had been left in his custody.

The man, from the Guyu area, cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor. He pleaded not guilty to rape but was convicted by Gwanda regional magistrate Sibonginkosi Mkandla after the State presented overwhelming evidence.

He was sentenced to 12 years' imprisonment, with three years suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within the next five years.

Prosecuting, Khumbulani Nyoni said the accused raped the girl on March 7 after her mother had left her and her two siblings, aged eight and six, in his custody while she attended a funeral.

"On March 7 the complainant and her two siblings aged eight and six years were left under the custody of the accused person by their mother who had gone to attend a funeral. He took advantage and went into the bedroom where the complainant was sleeping with her siblings in the middle of the night," Nyoni said.

The court heard that the accused fondled the girl, waking her up.

"She screamed upon realising that there was someone in the bedroom but the accused person told her to remain quiet as he had only come to check up on them," the prosecutor said.

The accused allegedly told the girl that he wanted to have sexual intercourse with her, but she refused.

He allegedly proceeded to rape her and threatened to assault her if she reported the matter to anyone.

The court convicted him after finding that the evidence against him was sufficient to prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.