Zim GBC News | Courts and Crimes
GWANDA – A 29-year-old man from Nyambi Village has been sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping his 48-year-old aunt after breaking into her home and holding a knife to her throat.
The convict, who cannot be named to protect the victim’s identity, was found guilty following a full trial before Gwanda regional magistrate Sithembiso Ndebele, despite his attempts to deny the charge.
The court heard that the brutal attack occurred in the dead of night on January 20. The prosecutor, Ms. Zanele Sithole, detailed how the accused used an iron bar to force his way into his aunt’s house.
“Upon arrival at the complainant’s home, the accused person forcibly opened the door with an iron bar and demanded to sleep with his aunt amid threats to kill her and her family if she did not comply,” Sithole told the court.
After the assault, the terrified woman managed to escape to a neighbour’s home, who assisted her in reporting the incident to the police, leading to the man’s swift arrest.
In his defence, the accused claimed he was too drunk to remember the events of that night. However, the court dismissed this assertion, siding with the victim’s testimony that he was sober and fully aware of his actions.
Passing sentence, Magistrate Sithembiso Ndebele condemned the man’s actions as a severe violation of trust and a despicable act.
“You went to the complainant’s homestead in the middle of the night and stormed her bedroom. This shows clear intent to harm and degrade. What makes it worse is that the complainant is your aunt,” Ndebele said.
She emphasized that the “court has a duty to protect women from such barbaric acts,” before handing down the 15-year jail term.
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