A resident from Dongamuzi village outside Beit Bridge, who had indecently assaulted and raped his daughter-in-law under the mistaken belief that he was fulfilling a custom, has been jailed for 15 years.

The man, aged 47, pleaded guilty to three counts of indecent assault and one count of rape and was convicted by Regional Magistrate Dambudzo Malunga last Thursday. When asked why he had committed the offence, the man told the court that he was fulfilling a custom, as his father had also slept with his wife.

Asked if the daughter in-law (18) had consented to the act, the man said she had not.

The prosecutor, Mr Bheki Tshabalala, told the court that in February this year, the man’s son left for South Africa to look for employment. He left his wife in the custody of his parents and, during the month, the man proposed sex to his daughter-in-law, but was turned down. He proceeded and fondled her breasts. She did not report the incident.

Later on the same day, the daughter-in-law left the homestead to fetch water and her father-in-law followed her. He made advances towards her, but was turned down once again. The daughter-in-law later made a report to her mother-in-law, who reprimanded her husband.

During March he fondled her breasts again and one day he found her bending down while washing some dishes. He approached her from behind and grabbed her private parts. She ran away and made a report to his wife, who in turn reprimanded him.

On 16 April, the mother-in-law left her homestead, going to a neighbour’s homestead to assist with the harvesting of some ground nuts and left the husband, daughter-in-law and five children behind.

During lunch time, the complainant went to serve her father-in-law is food and, as she knelt down to give him his food, he fondled her breasts, forcing her to run out of his sleeping hut where he was seated. Thinking that her father-in-law had left the homestead, she went into the sleeping hut to collect the plates and, as soon as she entered the door, the man, who was hiding behind the door stark naked, pounced and threw her onto the bed.

He forcibly removed her panties and raped her once, but she kept struggling until she managed to free herself and ran out of the hut, leaving her panties behind.

She reported the matter to the police and the man was arrested.