By Edwin Moyo
KWEKWE-A 73-year-old Zhombe man has been sentenced to an effective 15 years behind bars after being convicted of raping his 13-year-old granddaughter on several occasions.
The Kwekwe Regional Magistrates’ Court heard that the abuse began about two years ago when the elderly man allegedly lured the girl to a cattle pen under the pretext of asking her to accompany him.
After the initial incident, the accused allegedly gave the juvenile money and warned her against revealing what had happened.
The court was told that the abuse did not end there, with the man allegedly taking advantage of occasions when the child’s grandmother was away from home to repeatedly rape the girl.
The rape continued over an extended period, with the final incident reportedly occurring on July 31 this year.
The matter was eventually exposed after the girl broke her silence and disclosed the abuse, prompting investigations that culminated in the arrest of her grandfather.
The court however convicted the grandfather and sentenced him to 15 years in prison, effectively ending a prolonged period of abuse.
