Chinhoyi Bureau
A 54-year-old Mhangura man has been sentenced to an effective seven years in jail for raping his lame nine-year-old granddaughter. The man from Village 1 in Mhangura was left in the custody of the girl by his wife who had gone to the fields. He pleaded guilty when he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Solomon Jenya who sentenced him to nine years before setting aside two on condition that he does not committee a similar offence in the next five years.
Prosecutor Mrs Farai Zachariah said on a date between July 1 and July 25, the man called his granddaughter into the bedroom after she was left in his care.
He raped her once before threatening her if she reported the matter to anyone. 
But she revealed her ordeal to her mother after she asked her why she seemed unhappy and worried.
Mrs Zachariah said rape was a serious offence which needed a custodial sentence.
“Further to that, he (the man) breached the trust that had been bestowed on him by the child,” she said.
“The State should also consider the age difference between the two in passing sentence.”
Mrs Zachariah said a harsh sentence would send a clear signal to would be offenders and violators of children’s rights.