Crimes and Courts
BULAWAYO – A Nkayi man facing multiple counts of raping his 16-year-old daughter shocked the Bulawayo Regional Court on Tuesday by claiming the victim “enjoyed the acts” and had consented through her silence.
The 42-year-old accused, whose name is withheld to protect the identity of the victim, made the statement during his appearance before Regional Magistrate Mark Dzira. He faces several charges of sexual abuse alleged to have occurred between 2024 and May 2025.
Prosecutor Jethro Mada outlined a pattern of abuse that began when the victim’s mother was away from home.
“The accused would send the younger sibling outside, isolate the girl, and commit the acts while threatening her with a spear and an axe,” Mada told the court.
The court heard that the victim eventually confided in her aunt after receiving no protection from her mother, to whom she had initially reported the abuse. The aunt subsequently helped her report the matter to the police.
In a statement that drew gasps from those present, the accused insisted his daughter had consented. “He maintained that the girl had enjoyed the sexual acts, insisting her silence proved she had not been harmed,” a court official reported.
Magistrate Dzira dismissed the claims as without merit and ordered the accused to remain in custody as the trial proceeds.
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