Beverly Bizeki
In one of the most gruesome ritualistic acts, a 20 year old HIV positive man from Chief Makore area in Gutu raped his seven year old sister as per instruction by a traditional healer he had consulted for riches.
The rapist earned himself an effective 16-year jail term after four of the 20 year sentence were suspended for raping his seven-year-old sister who is in ECD B, in his quest for riches following the dictates of a traditional healer.
In passing his judgement on December 14, 2023 Masvingo Regional Magistrate Bishard Chineka said the accused person (name withheld to protect victim) deserved years in jail but because he was a first-time offender, pleaded guilty and the fact that the complainant, neither did she contract HIV from the accused nor fall pregnant, he was suspending four years.
Chineka also said the accused person deserved the full wrath of the law because rape is a serious offense on its own and in his case, it was worse because he raped his own sister knowing he was HIV positive and exposed her to the incurable disease all for his quest for riches.
He further said accused person was youthful but already had a habit of going to traditional healers showing that he does not want to work hard but rather opted for unorthodox means to get a soft life which is why he saw it fit to abuse his sister and get rich.
It was the state case as presented by Prosecutor Innocent Mudzingwa that on December 1 at around 1400 hours the accused person arrived home and asked his sister to escort him to their aunt’s house and she agreed.
While on their way back home the accused used a mountain path, claimed to be sick and asked to rest for a while. While they were taking a break from the walking, the accused raped the complainant, but while in the act, a passerby (name withheld) arrived and the accused ran away.
The passerby latter informed the two’s father who asked the girl and she confirmed that she had indeed been raped, which led to the father reporting the matter to the police on December 7.
The accused told the court that he had consulted a witch doctor to seek fortunes and he was shown his family members on a mirror and was asked to sleep with her sister.
He also pleaded with the court to be lenient with him saying he had left his medication at home as he was on HIV treatment.
Asked why he consulted witchdoctors at his age and to the extent of agreeing to rape his sister, the accused blamed his father whom he said was not supportive whenever he asked for help.
The accused went on to say he sold two scotch carts of firewood for US$8 to his uncle and used the money to visit the witchdoctor.
The state argued that accused person deserved the full wrath of the law because sleeping with his sister was an abomination and he had abused the complainant’s youth for his benefit betraying the trust she had in him as her brother.
It further argued that it was a carefully planned, choreographed and well meditated move and would be in the public’s interest to have accused getting a lengthy punishment to deter would-be offenders.
