A 47-YEAR-OLD Marondera man, who on several occasions raped his 16-year-old mentally-challenged niece before buying her silence with vegetables, has been sentenced to 36 years in jail following his conviction on three counts of rape.
BY Jairos Saunyama
The culprit from Chipesa village will serve an effective 26-year jail term after Marondera regional magistrate Clever Tsikwa set aside 10 years of the sentence on condition of good behaviour.
The court heard that sometime early this year, the complainant went to the culprit’s garden to collect some vegetables, where she was raped once and ordered not to reveal the matter to anyone.
Using the same modus operandi, the culprit raped the complainant on two more occasions with the latest incident taking place on April 24 this year.
The matter only came to light after the complainant’s mother quizzed her on why she had returned home late and she spilled the beans, leading to her uncle’s arrest.
Memory Mandudzo represented the State.
