The Sunday News
Judith Phiri, Sunday News Reporter
A Gokwe South man has been slapped with an 18-year jail sentence for raping and impregnating his daughter.
The man from Chamunorwa Village under Chief Mkoka raped his daughter several times until she fell pregnant.
The man recently appeared before Gokwe regional magistrate, Mr Lungile Ncube and was convicted and sentenced to 18 years. Four years were, however, suspended on condition of good behaviour.
The court heard that on a date unknown to the prosecutor but during the period from September 2019 to December 2020 the man who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, unlawfully had sexual intercourse several times with his biological daughter aged between 14 and 16 without her consent.
“Accused person is complainant’s biological father. On a date unknown but during the month of September 2019, the complainant and her sister were left in the custody of the accused person while the mother went to Johanne Masowe Apostolic Church,” read the court’s State outline.
It was the State case that at night the man went into his daughter’s bedroom and raped her.
The prosecutor, Mr Kennedy Madekutsikwa told the court that after the act, the man stood up and went to his bedroom hut and the following day, his wife returned home from the church service and that is when the girl revealed the matter to her.
She, however, did not believe her story and instead threatened to assault her alleging that she was lying against her husband. As a result, she did not take any action.
“The accused continued having sexual intercourse with the complainant on differrent occasions without her consent.
“During the month of September 2020, the complainant fell pregnant and she informed her mother who in turn did not take any action towards assisting her despite knowing that accused person was in the habit of continuously abusing complainant,” the court heard.
The court further heard that despite the complainant being pregnant her father continued having sexual intercourse with her until December last year. The matter came to light when other villagers tipped off the police, leading to the arrest of the man.
