Lecturer jailed for raping student

By Shamiso Dzingire

A LECTURER who works for a city college has been sentenced to an effective eight years in jail for raping his 19-year-old student.

Felistas Kwenda, who is employed by Debmar College, raped the girl in February when she enrolled for a five-day till-operating course with the institution.

Initially, Kwenda was sentenced to 12 years in jail by regional magistrate Gloria Takundwa.

However, Takundwa suspended four years for five years on condition that he does not within that period commit an offence of a sexual nature.

In passing sentence, Takundwa said Kwenda carefully selected his victim before sexually violating her. She said Kwenda deviated from his duties as a lecturer.

“You made advances which were rejected and you should have stopped. Your actions show that you intended to deflower the complainant and not marry her,” Takundwa said.

In mitigation, prosecutor Chipo Matambo had pleaded for a deterrent sentence to send a clear message to would-be offenders so they desist from taking advantage of students.

Matambo said the victim was psychologically affected by the rape and did not complete her studies, thereby disrupting her future.

Allegations were that on February 15 this year, Kwenda told the girl not to call him “sir” but “daddy, honey or sweetie”.

The girl went home and Kwenda started to communicate with her on WhatsApp.

The following day at Debmar College, Kwenda tried to kiss the complainant and she refused and they continued communicating on WhatsApp where Kwenda complained about why she was refusing to kiss him and let him touch her private parts.

On another day, the court heard, he sent the girl a pornographic video and on February 18, Kwenda attempted to fondle the complainant’s breasts but she refused.

It was also heard that on February 20, and after lessons, Kwenda ordered the complainant to remain behind.

Kwenda locked the main entrance and lifted the complainant to the reception room where he shoved her into a chair while unzipping his trousers and attempting to kiss the resisting teenager.

Kwenda pushed her down and she fell on her back before pulling down his trousers and raped her. After the ordeal, the girl told Kwenda what he did was a crime and threatened to tell her parents.

He confiscated his victim’s handbag and cellphone in an attempt to stop her from reporting the matter. The complainant proceeded to the police where she reported the matter. Daily News