In a harrowing case that shook the Odzi community, a 68-year-old man has been found guilty of rape and sentenced to 18 years in prison by a Mutare Magistrate. The victim? His own 14-year-old granddaughter.
The incident unfolded in October 2023, when the victim, along with two other minors, found themselves under the care of the accused. Alone with the young girl, he lured her into a dimly lit kitchen hut. There, he kissed her before issuing a chilling command: “Lie down on the sack.” It was on that sack that he committed the unspeakable act, violating the trust and innocence of his own flesh and blood.
The accused didn’t stop there. On three separate occasions, when his wife was absent, he subjected the young girl to further abuse. His twisted reasoning? He claimed to love her as much as he loved his wife, with whom the complainant shared the same totem—a cultural symbol of identity.
In a desperate attempt to maintain secrecy, the accused warned the traumatized girl not to breathe a word about the assault. His promise of biscuits—a cruel juxtaposition against the horrors she endured—was meant to buy her silence. But the truth has a way of escaping even the darkest corners.
The matter finally came to light on January 16, 2024, when the brave complainant confided in her uncle who alerted the police resulting in the grandfather’s arrest.
The court showed no leniency. The 68-year-old man received a 20-year sentence, with 2 years suspended. He will serve 18 years behind bars, a small measure of justice for the irreparable harm inflicted upon an innocent child.
