BY NOKUTHABA DLAMINI
A 57-year-old man from Chezhou Village, Dete, has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping a 53-year-old woman.
According to court records, the accused person, whose name has been withheld, stood trial at Hwange Magistrates’ Court facing charges of rape.
On July 3, at around 9:00 a.m., the complainant met the accused person and requested mealie meal to feed her family.
The accused person invited her to his house, but instead of giving her mealie meal, he grabbed her hands from behind, pushed her into the kitchen hut, and locked the door using a chain.
The complainant tried to escape, but the accused person blocked her way, pushed her down, and raped her once.
The complainant reported the matter to the police on July 10, leading to the accused person’s arrest.
The court also heard that the accused person infected the complainant with a sexually transmitted infection.
In passing sentence, the magistrate condemned the accused person’s actions, saying that rape is a serious violation of a person’s rights and dignity.
The accused person was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment, effective from the date of his arrest.