Story by Fungai Jachi, Courts Reporter
A 59-year-old man from Harare who allegedly raped his 13-year-old year daughter several times has been slapped with an effective 20-year jail term.
A 59-year-old man, who threatened to kill himself in an effort to pacify his daughter whom he sexually abused, will spend 20 years locked up in prison for the crime.
The man would abuse the child whenever he was home alone with her.
He told his daughter that if she disclosed the abuse to anyone, he would commit suicide.
He was caught red-handed in bed with the child by his second wife.
Meanwhile, in another case, a man who raped his four-year-old daughter was given a 15-year jail term.
The 24-year-old violated his child in August this year.
A neighbour heard the child screaming and upon being quizzed, the four-year-old narrated how she was being abused by her father who at times took baths with her.
Both men were convicted after full trials with the state managing to prove that the two committed the alleged crimes.
In passing sentences, magistrates in the two cases noted the prevalence of such cases, hence the need for deterrent sentences.
