CHRISTIAN Apostolic Faith Church founder Abel Gapiti was yesterday sentenced to an effective 23-year jail term for raping his co-tenant’s teenage daughter on four occasions between September and December last year.
BY DESMOND CHINGARANDE
Gapiti (60) was sentenced following a full trial by Harare regional magistrate Elijah Makomo.
The court heard that on a date unknown to the prosecutor, but in September last year, the complainant was at home alone when Gapiti invited her to his apartment purportedly for a prayer session. He later raped her and bought her silence with 25 cents. Using the same modus operandi, Gapiti raped the complainant on two more occasions and gave her 50 cents on each occasion to conceal the abuse.
On the fourth occasion, Gapiti and the complainant were spotted by a whistleblower while leaving a disused building near the house.
The whistleblower alerted, the complainant’s mother who then quizzed the minor, leading to Gapiti’s arrest.
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The complainant was referred to hospital for medical examination where it was confirmed that she had been sexually abused.