GWERU — A 45-year-old Chirumanzu man who raped and impregnated his niece broke down in tears yesterday after he was slapped with an effective 12-year jail term by a regional magistrate.
Stephen Chadenga Own Correspondent
Julius Mutema Mudare kept on shaking his head in disbelief, shedding tears and raising his hand after magistrate Mark Dzira pronounced the verdict.
In mitigation, the tearful Mudare pleaded for divine intervention during his stay in custody before he asked the court to allow him to talk to his two wives who were in the gallery.
The court heard that sometime in October 2009, the complainant, Mudare’s niece — then 16 years old — came to join his family.
On a date unknown to the State, Mudare’s wife left for the family’s fields leaving behind her husband and the teenager.
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Taking advantage of his family’s absence, Mudare invited the girl into his bedroom and raped her once. He later threatened to kill her if she spilled the beans.
Mudare then chased the girl away. The girl then went to stay with another uncle who discovered the pregnancy.
At first, she implicated Mudare’s son, but later revealed to a counsellor at a hospital where she had gone for prenatal check up that Mudare had raped her.
Fred Kadodo prosecuted.