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Lovemore Meya Court Correspondent
A 42-year-old man from Seke, who raped his daughter (16) three times at knife-point and impregnated her has been jailed for 14 years. The man threatened to kill the minor and her mother. The father of five had stated that his daughter had beautiful skin and that she was more special to him than her mother. He denied three counts of rape when he appeared before Chitungwiza regional magistrate, Ms Estere Chivasa.

Ms Chivasa convicted him of rape on a single count and incest on two other counts. She sentenced him to 12 years for rape and four years for incest.

However, two years of his sentence were set aside on condition of good behaviour. In sentencing him, Ms Chivasa considered that the man used a knife to instil fear in his daughter.

“I have taken into account that although the accused has no criminal record, he started his criminal career on the deep end of the crime.

“You used a knife in the process to induce fear in your own child and later socialised her into believing that she was more important than her own mother,” said Ms Chivasa.

“People who commit such heinous crimes should be visited with deterrent sentences to deter people of like mind.”

The prosecutor Mr Loveti Muringwa proved that sometime in January this year and at the family’s house in the rural areas, the man went to where his daughter was seated and commended her beautiful skin.

The court heard that he then forcibly pushed her to the ground, tore her undergarments and raped her once.

After the act, he later threatened to kill her if she divulged the abuse.

Mr Muringwa also proved that on a different date, but in early February this year while the girl’s mother had gone to buy vegetables for resale at Dema Growth Point, the man again raped the teenager at knife- point.

The matter came to light on March 10 this year when his wife noticed that the girl was pregnant and quizzed her.

She narrated her ordeal that her father was responsible for the pregnancy and the matter was reported to the police, leading to his arrest.