…Masvingo magistrate laments increase in rape cases
Rutendo Chirume
Masvingo regional magistrate Patience Madondo has lamented the surge in numbers of rape cases in the province and country at large saying penalties of rapists should be extremely stiff, imploring the State not to have any pity on such perpetrators.
She said this on April 20, during court case proceedings for a 56-year-old man who was found guilty for raping his 13-year-old step daughter.
While giving judgment, Madondo referred to the case of another 32-year-old rape convict who was found guilty of raping his two teenage daughters, together with many other cases of rape.
She said cases of rape in the province had become very high especially on minors leaving them exposed to pregnancy, Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs) and sometimes early marriages.
“You have taken your right to be a father and as such you do not deserve any sympathy from the State because people like you do not have any conscience. Just like the case of (name of another rape convict withheld) who was tried at the High Court and the recent case of a father who raped his own two daughters, you too deserve a stiffer punishment.
“Cases of rape in Masvingo province are becoming very high; cases of children in particular and that leaves them exposed to pregnancy, STIs and sometimes forced child marriages. Your bad deeds far outweigh your good and as such, I am compelled to sentence you to 20 years imprisonment but because you acknowledged your crime and pleaded guilty , you will serve 17 effective years while three years will suspended for five years on condition that you do not repeat the same offense,” said Madondo.
The 13 year-old victim broke into tears before the court as she relived the horror incident of how her step father raped and threatened to kill her if she divulged to anyone that she had been raped.
“I was at home alone on April 1, around 4pm when (step) father arrived. My mother and other brothers were herding cattle while the other one was at school. “He approached me and said he wanted to marry me. I tried to move away and that is when he grabbed me with both hands and dragged me to the bedroom. He locked the door and raped me twice. After that he ordered me to accompany him to our neighbor to collect his radio. Along the way he threatened that he will assault and kill me if I tell my mother or anyone what had happened. I did not get to the neighbor’s homestead because he ordered me to go back home,” she said.
Whilst the accused was of raping his stepdaughter, the victim’s young brother who was at school arrived home and heard the noise.
When he went towards the bedroom he realized that the door was locked before peeping through the window and noticed what was happening after which he left his books and followed his mother and brother to the grazing area but could not find them and returned home.
Around 1900 hours when they came back, the young brother approached his mother and told her what had happened, after which she reported the matter at Nyika police base leading to arrest of the perpetrator.
Statistics from Zimbabwe Gender Commission show that 22 women are raped daily ,one in every 75 minutes and on average 646 women are sexually abused monthly, with one in three girls raped or sexually assaulted before they reach 18.
