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Zimbabwe: Man Jailed for Rape
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 Published by the government of Zimbabwe |
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The Herald (Harare)
26 July 2007
Posted to the web 27 July 2007
Harare
A HARARE man was yesterday jailed for an effective 17 years for raping his step-daughter on several occasions between 2 000 and March this year.
The rape started when the girl was aged seven while the girl's mother was still alive and worsened after the death of the mother in 2004.
In passing sentence, regional magistrate Mr William Bhila said the offence was very serious and that a deterrent sentence was called for. Mr Bhila said the 46-year-old Mabvuku man, Eightpence Chiwale, showed a high degree of cruelty by raping a girl who had put all her trust in him as a parent.
He further said Chiwale's moral blameworthiness was very high in the circumstances and a right message needed to be sent out to would-be offenders that crime does not pay. Chiwale pleaded guilty to raping the girl.
Prosecutor Mr Douglas Chesa appeared for the State.
The rape started sometime in 2000 when the girl was aged seven. The mother had gone to her rural home, leaving the girl in the custody of Chiwale. While the girl's mother was away, Chiwale sneaked into her blankets in the middle of the night naked. He forcibly undressed the girl and stashed a piece of cloth into her mouth to muffle her cries before raping her once. The following day, the girl reported the case to her mother when she returned from the rural areas, but no action was taken against Chiwale. As if that was not enough, Chiwale repeatedly raped the girl on various occasions with the girl's mother keeping it a secret.
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The mother later died in 2004, and the girl continued staying with her stepfather who would rape her again.
On all incidents, Chiwale threatened the girl with death if she disclosed the case to anyone or reported it to the police.
The girl became brave enough to make a report at Epworth Police Station at the time her step-father had been nabbed on theft charges.
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