A polygamous 27-year-old Chipinge man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison by a Mutare magistrate for raping his 21-year-old mentally-challenged neighbour.
Edmore Munhundiani Sithole, from Chief Gwenzi’s area, was convicted and sentenced by Mutare regional magistrate Livingstone Chipadze Friday.
Sithole is a father of four and is married to two wives.
Prosecutor Malvern Musarurwa told the court that on March 3 last year, the complainant had gone to Sithole’s homestead looking for okra and was directed to the field by one of Sithole’s wives.
Sithole overheard the conversation and followed the woman to the field. He grabbed her hand, ordered her to lie down and raped her once, tearing off her clothes in the process.
Efforts by the woman to scream were foiled by Sithole who covered her mouth with his palm. After the ordeal, the woman alerted neighbours who made a report, leading to Sithole’s arrest.
In passing sentence, the magistrate said it was inhuman to rape a mentally ill woman, more so if one was a married man.
