HARARE – A 19-year-old Chipinge man employed as a cattle herder found time to kiss his employer’s 5-year-old granddaughter before raping her once in a nearby field, prosecutors proved before a Chipinge magistrate.
For the crime, the man was slapped with a 15-year jail sentence after he was found guilty for the attack.
During trial, the court was told that the man was employed as a herd boy by the infant’s grandmother and had been staying in the same house with his rape victim.
The incident happened on 23 September this year at Chief Gwenzi area in Chipinge when he was herding cattle in a field near their homestead, according to a statement by the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ)
The infant’s grandmother was sleeping in her bedroom at the time.
“The accused person signalled the complainant who was playing with another minor to come to him,” NPAZ said.
“The complainant and her friend went to the accused person. The accused person lifted the complainant and kissed her, removed her clothes and raped once.
“He told the complainant to go back home after the rape. The complainant revealed her ordeal to her grandmother after having nightmares, a fever and vomiting through the night.
“A police report was made, leading to the arrest of the accused person.”
