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Tendai Rupapa Senior Court Reporter—

A 38-year-old Harare man reportedly sexually abused his 15-year-old daughter for over six years. The accused and the minor’s mother are divorced and he has since remarried.From 2010 to this year, the man is alleged to have sexually abused his daughter on various occasions, the court heard.

The minor later informed her step-mother of the abuse but she swept the matter under the carpet.

The accused was denied bail when he recently appeared in court and will be back in court this week for trial before regional magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo.

According to the State, the girl slept on the floor while the father and stepmother shared the bed.

Prosecutor Mrs Molly Mutamangira-Mavhondo alleged that sometime in September 2010 at around 10pm, taking advantage of his wife’s absence, the accused woke up his daughter, and asked her to join him in bed.

When the girl refused, he allegedly picked up her up and threw her on the bed.

He then raped her, the State alleged.

She was aged nine then.

The accused ordered the complainant not to report the abuse to anyone and out of fear she complied.

The sexual abuse continued with the accused raping his daughter on various occasions whenever his wife was away, it is alleged.

The complainant later decided to inform her stepmother of the abuse who in turn confronted her husband but did not take any action.

The man kept on abusing his daughter until October this year,, the court heard.

It is the State’s case that on October 3, at around 9pm, the accused returned from work and as soon as he got home, the victim bolted out of the house since her stepmother was not at home.

This did not go down well with the accused who questioned his daughter why she was running away from him.He then physically assaulted her.

The victim screamed for help drawing the attention of neighbours who gathered around.

She started shouting: “Munondirova, munondiroverei imi muchirara neni nguva zhinji.”(Why are you assaulting me, when I’m your sex slave?).

The neighbours then informed the police leading to the arrest of the accused.

Meanwhile, a Seke man reportedly raped his two granddaughters and impregnated one of them, reports Margaret Matibiri.

The man, aged 59, appeared before Chitungwiza magistrate Ms Estery Chivasa last Friday facing two counts of rape.

He was remanded in custody to December 16.

Prosecuting, Mr Tendai Mukatera alleged that in the period between January 2010 and December 2012, the suspect raped his granddaughters.

He forced himself on the granddaughters without protection.

The suspect reportedly threatened the victims not to reveal the abuse to anyone.

The matter came to light after one of the granddaughters fell pregnant.

The victims were both below the age of consent.

Anonymous reports were made to an organisation called Shamwari Yemwanasikana, leading to the suspect’s arrest.