A 40-YEAR-old man was sentenced to 18 years in prison for raping his 10-year-old stepdaughter.

In a statement, the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ) said the man from Odzi, Manicaland Province raped the victim in October 2023 when her mother went to visit her aunt, leaving the children in his custody.

The accused raped the complainant in the presence of her two sisters aged 1 and 3 when he instructed them to sleep in his room. Police arrested the suspect after the matter came to light when the victim reported the matter to her teacher after her mother told her not to reveal the matter to anyone lest she be chased away from home, when she told her what had occurred.

“The National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe would like to urge members of the public to report all sexual offenses involving minors regardless of the circumstances,” reads the statement.