A 32-year-old Beit Bridge man was sentenced to 15 years in prison for raping his 11-year-old stepdaughter.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the victim, pleaded guilty to the charge before Regional Magistrate Joseph Mabeza last Tuesday.

It was testified that on 14 January this year, at about 21:00, the man arrived home drunk and found his wife already asleep with the complainant, with whom they shared the bedroom.

The man and his wife then apparently had a fierce argument and he threatened to assault her. She left the house to seek refuge with nearby relatives. The man also left the house and went to his aunt’s place, where he stayed for a while. When he returned home at about midnight, looking for his wife, he found that she had not returned and he failed to locate her.

He then started harassing the complainant and her younger sister, who were sleeping in the bedroom, asking them about the whereabouts of their mother. He then took advantage of the absence of his wife and ordered the stepdaughter to undress. She complied and he raped her before threatening to kill her if she ever revealed what had happened. Then he fell asleep in her bed.

The matter came to light when his wife returned home at around 02:00 the following day and found him sleeping in the same bed as his stepdaughter. On being questioned, the girl revealed that the stepfather had raped her and the matter was reported to the police, leading to the man’s arrest.