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Lovemore Meya Court Correspondent
A 20-year-old Chitungwiza man, who raped his co-tenant’s three-year-old daughter while the mother was cooking in the next room was last Friday sentenced to an effective 12 years in prison. The man (name withheld to protect the minor) denied rape charges when he appeared before Chitungwiza regional magistrate Ms Estere Chivasa. However, he was convicted after prosecutor Mr Tendai Mukariri proved a strong case against him. Ms Chivasa sentenced him to 14 years in prison, but conditionally suspended two years for five years on condition that he doesn’t commit a similar offence within that period.

The court heard that on August 16, at around 9pm, the minor went into the man’s room to play while her mother was preparing supper. She found him in the company of his two cousins, who left after a few minutes, leaving him with the girl. He then took advantage of the situation to sexually abuse the minor.

It is the State’s case that later when the mother called the minor to change her clothes, she couldnt get her to remove her trousers as the toddler complained that it was painful.  After the mother enquired why she was refusing to change, the girl resultantly opened up. To her horror, when the mother undressed her, she discovered bruises and semen on the minor’s privates. The matter was reported to the police, leading to the man’s arrest.