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Prosper Dembedza Court Correspondent
The trial of a 55-year-old Harare man, who allegedly raped his 15-year-old daughter thrice on the pretext that he was marking his territory, hit a brick wall yesterday following indications that he was allegedly not feeling well.

The accused, who is on $300 bail, is facing three counts of rape when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mr Francis Mapfumo. Mr Mapfumo deferred the matter to April 8 after the man’s defence tendered a medical affidavit proving that his client was not feeling well.

The court heard that sometime in August 2006, accused kissed the complainant.

She approached her uncle, asking if it was normal for her father to kiss his daughter that way and the uncle said it was abnormal.

It is alleged that during the same month, the complainant confronted her father who was in his bedroom over the previous kiss and the man locked the door before telling her that he was marking his territory.

The court heard that the accused pulled the complainant to his bed and raped her. It is the State’s case that on another day in the same month, the father called the complainant, who was with her uncle  before going to her father, she told the uncle that she was afraid to go to her father’s room because he could rape her again.

The complainant then complied and went into accused’s room and he raped her again.

During the rape, it is alleged that the complainant screamed for help to no avail.

The court heard that the complainant again told the uncle about the incident but he could not assist as he was under the accused’s care.

It is alleged that accused used the same tactic on the third count. The complainant reported the matter to the police leading to the father’s  arrest.