Man jailed for peeping and raping maid

Lesley Chikudo, [email protected] 

A 21-YEAR-OLD man from Pumula South in Bulawayo, has been sentenced to an effective 15 years in prison for raping his maid. 

The incident occurred after he had peeped at her through a keyhole while she was                                    bathing.

The man who pleaded not guilty to the charge, was convicted by Western Commonage regional magistrate Mrs Sibongile Marondedze due to overwhelming evidence.

In her ruling, Mrs Marondedze lashed out at the accused for wasting the court’s time by denying the charges.

“The accused was the complainant’s employer and she had only worked for him for four days. There is no bad blood between the two. Instead of protecting his employee, the accused raped her,” said Mrs Marondedze.

She said the medical report corroborated the complainant’s account. She said the use of a weapon further aggravates the offence.

Mrs Marondedze said the accused’s predatory behaviour posed a danger to society and warranted a deterrent sentence.

“There is a need to protect the girl child and as such the accused is sentenced to an effective 15 years,” she said.

Prosecutor Ms Christine Manyika told the court that the incident occurred earlier this month.

Before the rape, the accused had reportedly opened the bathroom door while the complainant was bathing. The following day, after returning from fetching water, the accused attacked the victim in her bedroom.

“The complainant was sitting in her room when she heard the accused approaching. He entered the room, locked the door and grabbed her hand. After a struggle, he overpowered her and raped her,” said Ms Manyika.

The court heard that the accused threatened the victim with a machete and covered her mouth to silence her during the assault. After committing the crime, he fled to Harare but was later apprehended.