Father sentenced to 20 years for repeated rape of daughter

ZIMSPHERE 

PLUMTREE - A 34-year-old man from Madlambuzi has been sentenced to 20 years in prison by the Plumtree Magistrates' Court for raping his biological daughter over a four-year period, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) reported. 

The victim, who was 13 at the time of the first assault in February 2020, is now 17.

The court heard that the accused was often left alone with the victim, during which he repeatedly raped her. 

The abuse resulted in a pregnancy, and the victim gave birth in June 2021. The accused threatened to kill her if she revealed that he was the father of the child.

The abuse continued until January 2024, when the victim confided in her mother about the assaults. A police report was subsequently filed through the Department of Social Welfare, leading to the arrest of the accused. 

The accused was convicted on charges of rape and sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. The victim is now aged 17.