Published by the government of Zimbabwe
3 October 2007
Harare — FOUNDER member of Marondera-based sungura outfit Pengaudzoke, Josephat Somanje, has been jailed for 10 years for raping his tenant's 11-year-old daughter.
Although Somanje pleaded not guilty, magistrate Gladys Pise convicted him due to overwhelming evidence, which included the medical examination carried out on the girl at Marondera Hospital, which showed she was abused.
Somanje was sentenced to 15 years but the magistrate suspended five years on condition of good behaviour. According to the State outline, last year Somanje, whose wife is now late, asked the girl's mother who was a lodger at his house to let her daughter look after his ailing child during the school holidays.The State further said that Somanje sent one of his children to buy some eggs so that he could remain behind with the girl. Somanje, who took advantage of his child's absence, led the girl into his bedroom where he raped her once before sending her out to play.
The offence came to light when the girl's mother, who examined her after she had complained of headaches and stomach pains, discovered that she was no longer a virgin.
When quizzed, the girl implicated Somanje who was immediately arrested.
In his defence, Somanje accused the girl's mother of setting him up because she wanted to avoid paying water bills.
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