Courts Writer
A 35-YEAR-OLD man from Crowborough Phase 1, Harare, has been jailed for 20 years after being found guilty of raping his daughter for two years.
The man was convicted following a full trial before Harare regional magistrate, Mr Nowel Mupeiwa.
The State, led by Mrs Cecilia Mashingaidze, proved that, in November 2024, the complainant was asleep together with her brother when her father entered the kitchen where they were sleeping in.
Upon entering, the accused undressed the complainant before raping her.
It was the State’s case that the complainant tried to scream, but to no avail, as the accused was closing her mouth.
The accused threatened the complainant not to disclose the matter, saying it could result in his arrest as he was the breadwinner. He also told her that if he were arrested, the whole family would relocate to rural areas.
Mrs Mashingaidze said the accused had sexual intercourse with the complainant without her consent several times whenever her mother was away, and that the complainant did not disclose the matter.
The case came to light in February this year after the complainant told her mother, which led to the accused’s arrest.
