A 28-YEAR-OLD Harare man was yesterday sentenced to 20 years imprisonment for raping a 12-year-old girl several times at his tuckshop.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
The convict, Archford Godza (28), who appeared before magistrate Jessy Kufa, will serve an effective 15-year jail term after the court conditionally suspended five years.
In passing the ruling, Kufa considered the wide age gap between Godza and the victim and ruled that the convict had taken advantage of a minor, who could not have consented to sex.
She said Godza had left an indelible mark on the juvenile’s life and robbed her of her childhood by exposing her to sexual activity at such a tender age.
The court heard that sometime in January, the girl was sent to buy soya mince by her mother at a tuckshop where Godza worked.
When she arrived, he proposed love to her and the victim agreed before he invited her into the tuckshop.
Godza then raped the minor once and gave her the soya mince and $3 to silence her.
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The court heard that Godza raped the victim on several occasions at his tuckshop.
At one stage, he dragged the victim into his tuckshop after she refused to have sexual intercourse with him, resulting in her falling and hitting her head on the floor, thereby losing unconsciousness.
The court heard Godza raped the unconscious minor before resuscitating her and he gave her $9 to buy her silence.
The matter came to light recently after the girl confided in her teacher that Godza sexually abused her in his tuck shop on several times.
The matter was reported to school authorities, who took the matter up with the police, leading to Godza’s arrest. Chipo Matambo appeared for the State.
