By Ndumiso Tshuma
A 41 year old man from Plumtree has been sentenced to 27 years in jail for raping his niece.
In a statement released by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPA), the accused raped his niece sometime in 2018 when she was 11 years old and on several occasions until October 2023.
The offence came to light on 30 January 2024.
“The court found that the accused person who is the complainant’s uncle raped her sometime in 2018 when she was 11 years old. He also raped her on divers occasions until October 2023. The offence came to light on 30 January 2024 when the complainant wrote a suicide note citing the rape as the cause of her intended suicide. A neighbour discovered the note and took the letter to her mother. The accused person was arrested and denied bail until the case was finalized”. said NPA.
The accused person was found guilty on two accounts of rape and was sentenced to 16 years on count one and 15 years on count two.
“The accused person was found guilty of two counts of rape, one in 2018 and one in 2023. He was sentenced to 16 years of imprisonment for count one. Four years were suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence. He was sentenced to a further 15 years imprisonment for count two. He will serve 27 years effectively,” said the NPA.
