BY MIRIAM MANGWAYA A 31-YEAR-OLD Chivhu man was last week acquitted of rape after his nine-year-old daughter, who was the complainant, told the court that a spiritual being using her father’s image had sexually abused her. The man, from Chief Nyoka’s area, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the minor, was accused of raping his biological daughter on three occasions while her mother was away. He had pleaded not guilty to the offence. The minor told Chivhu regional magistrate Fadzai Mtombeni that she continued to be sexually abused by her father even when he was in remand prison, which prompted her to conclude that she was being abused by a spiritual being. It was the State’s case that between January 29 and March 4 this year, the man shared the bedroom with his daughter when her mother was away. Sometime during the night, he woke up and raped her. On two other occasions, the man sneaked into the kitchen where the girl was sleeping and raped her again. The girl disclosed the ordeal to her friend, leading to a report being made to the police. Police investigated the matter, leading to her father’s arrest. Corrence Chimbadzwa appeared for the State.
