By Tendai Rupapa
A Glen View man on Thursday stunned the court when he admitted to a “consensual” sexual relationship with his 13-year-old sister before they were caught red-handed by their father.
In his defence, the 26-year-old man who is facing four counts of rape, denied abusing his sister arguing that it was by consent. “Handina kumumanikidza nekuti pose patairara tese taitenderana (I did not force her because we had agreed to have sex),” he said.
Regional magistrate Mr Themba Kuwanda had asked him why he was having sexual intercourse with his sister. He said he could not have sexual desire when he tried it with his girlfriends. The man said he was tempted to rape his sister since they shared a bedroom.
“Your worship, my sister came from the rural areas in 2010 since she was supposed to start Grade 6 at a local school. We shared the same bedroom whereby I would use the bed and she would sleep on the floor. Sometimes she would sleep naked to avoid soiling her clothes because up to now she wets her blankets.”
He said he had sought alternative accommodation but returned home when he could not make ends meet. He said he asked for sexual favours from his sister after failing to perform with other women and she agreed.
He said their relationship had grown to an extent that even when they were around family members they would use sign language and would isolate themselves from others before being intimate.
Prosecutor Mrs Rufaro Mhandu-Muderede alleges that sometime in September last year, the man was at home watching television with his sister and demanded sex threatening to beat her up. The man allegedly carried the girl to his bedroom where he raped her once.
He allegedly gave the girl US$5 to cover the crime. On the second occasion, in October the same year, the man allegedly tried to rape her in the bedroom but she fought back and escaped. The man is, however, alleged to have raped the girl when she returned home.
He again gave her US$5 and ordered her not to report the matter to anyone. In August this year, the man allegedly raped her at his lodgings. The girl reportedly threatened to report him to the police.
On August 27, the girl was sleeping with her younger sisters in the dining room when the man entered the room, turned up the television volume and entered into her blankets. He was, however, caught red-handed when the father went to investigate the loud volume. A police report was made leading to his arrest.
