The Sunday News
Sukulwenkosi Dube-Matutu, Gwanda Correspondent
A 69-YEAR-OLD Esigodini man has been arrested for allegedly raping his 15-year-old stepdaughter after she had been left under his custody by his mother.
The man from Shale Village who cannot be named for ethical reasons was not asked to plead when he appeared briefly before Gwanda magistrate, Mrs Nomagugu Sibanda facing a rape charge last week. He was remanded in custody to 5 May this year.
Prosecuting, Miss Faith Mutukwa said the stepfather first raped the girl on 13 November last year.
“On 13 November in 2019 the complainant’s mother travelled to Musina in South Africa and left her daughter with the accused person. On the same day at around 1 pm the complainant was playing with her friends at her home when the accused person called her into the kitchen to prepare food for him. She complied and after she had prepared the food the accused person directed her to bring it to his bedroom. While she was giving him the food the accused person grabbed the complainant and started fondling her breasts but she resisted. The accused person told the complainant not to resist as her mother had given him permission to have sexual intercourse with her,” she said.
Miss Mutukwa said the man then locked the bedroom door and raped the young girl before warning her against reporting the matter to anyone. Miss Mutukwa said the stepfather raped the girl on two other occasions in November while her mother was away and she remained quiet about the matter.
She said the matter came to light on 20 January when the girl narrated to her school mate what her stepfather had done to her.
Miss Mutukwa said the girl’s friend then reported the matter to their teacher who questioned the complainant about the incident and she confirmed it. She said the matter was further reported to the school authorities and the complainant’s mother who then reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused person.
@DubeMatutu
