Honour Makovore
CHIREDZI – Magistrate
Constance Mtandwa has sentenced a woman to 36 months in jail for protecting her
husband from prosecution after he repeatedly raped her nine-year-old daughter
between January and February.
Constance Mtandwa has sentenced a woman to 36 months in jail for protecting her
husband from prosecution after he repeatedly raped her nine-year-old daughter
between January and February.
The
37-year-old woman, a vendor from Makondo Township who cannot be named to
protect the identity of the minor, used methylated spirits to treat her
daughter’s lacerated private parts after the rape by her 36-year-old husband,
who is step-father to the victim, and failed to report the matter to the
police.
37-year-old woman, a vendor from Makondo Township who cannot be named to
protect the identity of the minor, used methylated spirits to treat her
daughter’s lacerated private parts after the rape by her 36-year-old husband,
who is step-father to the victim, and failed to report the matter to the
police.
She
was convicted for contravening Section 7 (3) of the Children’s Act Chapter 5.06
which talks about ‘ill-treatment or abuse of children and young persons’, but
12 months of her sentence were suspended on condition of good behavior.
was convicted for contravening Section 7 (3) of the Children’s Act Chapter 5.06
which talks about ‘ill-treatment or abuse of children and young persons’, but
12 months of her sentence were suspended on condition of good behavior.
Six
months of the prison sentence were for obstruction of justice and 24 months were
for child abuse, but six months were set aside in condition that she will not
commit a similar offence in the next five years.
months of the prison sentence were for obstruction of justice and 24 months were
for child abuse, but six months were set aside in condition that she will not
commit a similar offence in the next five years.
The
State, represented by Nyasha Dzirutsva alleged that on an unknown date in
January, the accused, who also cannot be named to protect the identity of the
minor, raped his stepdaughter once and threatened to beat her with an electric
cable if she told anybody.
State, represented by Nyasha Dzirutsva alleged that on an unknown date in
January, the accused, who also cannot be named to protect the identity of the
minor, raped his stepdaughter once and threatened to beat her with an electric
cable if she told anybody.
The
injured girl then told her mother upon her arrival from work but she ordered
her to remain silent.
injured girl then told her mother upon her arrival from work but she ordered
her to remain silent.
The
accused then kept on raping there girl and literally tore apart her private
parts until suspicious neighbours alerted the police. All along, the woman was
using methylated spirits to treat the victim’s wounds.
accused then kept on raping there girl and literally tore apart her private
parts until suspicious neighbours alerted the police. All along, the woman was
using methylated spirits to treat the victim’s wounds.
Meanwhile,
her husband is serving an effective 18 years in jail for the rape.
her husband is serving an effective 18 years in jail for the rape.
