AN 18-YEAR-OLD Lupane man, who two years ago raped and impregnated his mentally-challenged juvenile cousin sister, has been slapped with an effective seven years jail term. The girl has already given birth.
BY SILAS NKALA
The culprit, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the girl, was convicted and sentenced on his own plea of guilty to the rape charge when he appeared before Hwange Regional Court Magistrate Dambudzo Malunga on Wednesday.
The court initially sentenced him to 10 years in jail and later set aside three years on condition of good behaviour.
In mitigation, the man told the court that he committed the offence out of mischief after the mentally unstable girl indicated that she wanted to be married to him.
The court heard that on September 10, 2014, the man sneaked into the juvenile girl’s bedroom hut and raped her after threatening her with unspecified action if she screamed for help.
The girl however, later spilled the beans to her uncle who reported the matter to the village head and police, leading to the culprit’s arrest.
