A 24-YEAR-OLD Silobela man in the Midlands was yesterday handed an effective 17-year jail term for raping a 16-year-old girl twice and infecting her with a sexually transmitted illness (STI).
STEPHEN CHADENGA OWN CORRESPONDENT
The State alleged that Brighton Tshuma from Zalazo village under Chief Malisa allegedly grabbed the girl from behind on her way to a church crusade on March 26 this year at around 7pm and raped her.
After the rape, the girl ran back to her homestead and locked herself inside her bedroom hut, but Tshuma later followed and forcibly opened the door and raped her again.
The complainant revealed the matter to a neighbour and later told her mother and a police report was made, leading to Tshuma’s arrest.
Gweru regional magistrate Morgan Nemadire treated the two rape counts as one and sentenced Tshuma to 15 years in jail with three years suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.
Tshuma was then sentenced to five years on the count of forcibly gaining entry into the girl’s bedroom hut.
