A 35-YEAR-OLD Mutare man has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for raping his neighbour’s 15-year-old daughter in August this year.
In a statement on Monday, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said on the day the crime was committed, the rapist took advantage of the absence of the girl’s parents and raped her inside his parents’ house after giving her some intoxicating juices.
The rapist only stopped abusing the girl when he heard her father approaching on his motorcycle, at which point he escaped through a window, leaving behind his shirt, short and leather jacket.
He later came back to the house accusing the complainant and his brother of stealing his clothes and cellphone, leading to his arrest.
Meanwhile, two years of his sentence were suspended, leaving him to serve an effective 18-year jail term.