Zim GBC News | Crimes and Courts
Hwedza – A Hwedza man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for the systematic rape of his biological daughter over a two-year period, a case that only came to light after the victim’s mother planted a recording device on her child.
The 39-year-old man, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the victim, pleaded guilty to the charges. The court heard that the abuse began in September 2023 when the girl was just 12 years old.
Prosecutor Barbara Mabika detailed the harrowing pattern of abuse to the Marondera Magistrates’ Court.
“The father would follow the child into her grandmother’s bedroom as she changed out of her school uniform,” Mabika stated.
“He fondled her breasts and genitals and threatened her with death if she spoke out.”
The assaults escalated to rape the following month. The court was told that after each attack, the man would order his daughter to “act normal and play with friends as if nothing had happened.”
The abuse continued intermittently until September 2025.
The case unraveled when the victim’s mother, growing suspicious, hid a recording device on her daughter’s phone. In a conversation with a peer, the girl revealed the prolonged abuse by her father.
In his defense, the convict claimed he was under the influence of “evil spirits,” a justification that was firmly rejected by the presiding magistrate.
Magistrate Ignatious Mhene handed down the 20-year sentence, describing the man’s actions as “abhorrent.” He strongly dismissed the accused’s defense, stating that such excuses “only serve to trivialize the suffering of victims.”
The ruling underscores the judiciary’s firm stance against crimes targeting children.
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