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Court Reporter
a 37-year-old man allegedly sodomised and raped his 14-year-old daughter in the presence of her young sibling after offering to share blankets because of the cold weather.

The father was entrusted with the custody of the children as the mother had travelled to South Africa.

He appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Tendai Mahwe on Friday charged with two counts of rape.

He was remanded in custody to August 25 and was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

Prosecutor Mr Sebastian Mutizirwa alleged that the children were left in the custody of their father sometime in April this year.

During the first days of his wife’s absence the man slept in the bedroom while his daughters slept in the kitchen.

It is alleged that sometime in July the man came back from work and found his daughters already asleep in the kitchen.

After eating his dinner, he allegedly sneaked into his daughter’s blankets and started watching television.

He allegedly started fondling the teenager’s breast and she woke up and ordered him to stop it.

It is alleged the accused continued but later stopped and went to his bedroom.

In July the accused invited his daughters to join him in the bedroom and share blankets because it was cold.

The children complied and it is alleged that in the first two days their father made the younger child sleep in the middle but on the third day the younger child wetted the bed and the father ordered the siblings to swap sleeping positions.

The teenager was now in the middle and around midnight the same night the accused started fondling his 14-year-old daughter’s breasts.

It is alleged that she woke up and found her father naked.

She asked why he was caressing her, the father remained silent and they went back to sleep, the court heard.

The following day the teenager was awakened by her father who was caressing her and he ordered her to be silent.

The father undressed the teenager and sodomised her.

It is alleged they went back to sleep but the father woke up again and raped her.

He allegedly told his daughter not to tell anyone of the sexual assault.

It is alleged the teenager later phoned her mother and informed her of her ordeal.

The mother came back from South Africa and reported the matter to the police.

The teenager was sent for medical examination and the affidavit will be produced in court as an exhibit.