A 27-YEAR-OLD man formerly employed as a gardener by a Kadoma family was yesterday slapped with an effective 11-year prison term for raping his employer’s four-year-old daughter in 2010.
REPORT BY OWN CORRESPONDENT
Chrispen Chenjerai of Purazeni village under Chief Chipindu in Masvingo was initially slapped with a 14-year jail term before regional magistrate Never Katiyo conditionally set aside three years.
The court heard that on dates unknown to the prosecution, but during the period extending between November 2009 and February 2010, Chenjerai — who was employed as a gardener in Kadoma — lured his employer’s daughter into a kitchen hut where he raped her once.
Soon after committing the crime, Chenjerai immediately quit his job in a bid to escape the wrath of the law.
The girl later spilled the beans to her grandmother after the latter had asked her.
The victim was referred to Kadoma General Hospital for medical examination where it was confirmed she had been raped.
In his defence, Chenjerai claimed that he had been persecuted by the girl’s grandfather who loathed his Johanne Masowe apostolic sect. Farai Zachariah prosecuted.
