Beitbridge man impregnates his daughter while another Beitbridge man sleeps with his Grade 1 daughter, his husband and wife

A 53-year-old man from Tshinwanyani area in Beitbridge has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the rape of his 9-year-old daughter.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity, pleaded not guilty to the charge but was found guilty based on the prosecution’s evidence.

The court heard that the defendant was staying in the Todi area with his daughter while her mother was away.

The victim’s grandmother, who lived in the same area, took her to her property after intercepting her on her way to school. The grandmother and the victim then stayed together.

After school, however, the grandmother accompanied the Class 1 girl to the accused’s sleeping place, where the man shared the same bedroom and blankets with her, like a man and a womanOne night in June, the man woke up and raped the plaintiff.

A relative who lived in the same area noticed that the accused and the victim shared the same blanket at night like a married couple and informed the victim’s mother. On August 19, the plaintiff’s mother took her away from the accused and her grandmother.

She questioned her underage daughter about the sleeping conditions and she reported the incident of sexual abuse. The incident was reported to the police, which led to the man’s arrest.

Prosecutor Tsitsi Mutukwa told the court that the accused took advantage of his wife’s absence to commit this heinous act. She stressed the victim’s vulnerability and the accused’s breach of trust.

The ruling by Beitbridge Regional Judge Innocent Bepura is a strong signal against such violence and abuse within families.

This case is unfortunately not an isolated one. A few months ago, another 53-year-old cross-border transport operator from Beitbridge was sentenced to 42 years in prison for He raped his biological daughter for three years until she became pregnantThe man began raping the woman in August 2020, when she was 13, until she became pregnant last year at the age of 16.

Another 67-year-old man is due to stand trial in the same court for the rape of his granddaughter.

These cases highlight the alarming prevalence of sexual abuse within families in Beitbridge and across Zimbabwe, and are a reminder that we need to raise awareness, provide support to victims and enforce laws against such crimes more strictly.

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