A 40-YEAR-OLD Harare pervert, Innocent Kwenda, will spend the next 13 years behind bars after being convicted and jailed for raping his girlfriend’s teenage daughter in the presence of her siblings.
BY SILENCE CHARUMBIRA
Regional magistrate Fadzayi Mthombeni had initially sentenced Kwenda to 16 years in prison before suspending the other three on condition of good behaviour.
In his defence, Kwenda had argued there were two children, aged 11 and 13, in the room when he is alleged to have committed the offence, making it impossible for him to rape the victim without being noticed.
He further said on the day in question, he had gone to Marlborough and returned at around 8pm and he called the complainant outside and asked her about her boyfriend in jest.
Kwenda also said when he got home, there was no electricity and when power was restored, the complainant, who had retired to bed early, woke up and prepared food for her siblings for the next day.
Kwenda said she later retired to bed and shared the same bed with him, but he did not rape her, as all four of them were in the same room at all times.
He also argued she did not scream to raise alarm and accused her mother of being violent and abusive.
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However, prosecutor Ressy Nyamombe said that after the rape, the complainant did not waste time, but walked to her mother’s workplace and made a report on the same day.
Nyamombe said a police report was made on the same day and a medical examination conducted at 4am proved there was fresh hymenal tear.
The prosecutor said there was no reason for the complainant to risk her life by walking alone at night to report to her mother what had happened.
In mitigation, Kwenda pleaded with the court to be lenient with him, saying he was a father of four, married and unemployed.
He said he depended on part-time jobs as a security guard.
