Violence Against Women
Source: The Herald
A rapist yesterday stunned the court when he attempted to flee seconds after he was convicted of raping a deaf woman.
Robson Makaka (24) was on bail and had come from home for his judgment when presiding magistrate Ms Memory Chigwaza convicted him of the offence after a fully contested trial.
He was sentenced to an effective 12-year-jail term for raping a 20-year-old deaf woman.
When Ms Chigwaza delivered judgment, Makaka bolted from the dock heading towards the door.
The magistrate ordered him to get back into the dock and sit down.
However, Makaka who seemed to have taken advantage of the fact that the court officials present were women and prison officers were not yet in court, stopped and hesitated with a look of disbelief and shock.
Upon seeing that the court orderly, a policewoman, had stood up to apprehend him after Ms Chigwaza had ordered him for the second time to return to the dock, Makaka walked back to the dock while shaking his head in disbelief.
Ms Chigwaza then stood down the matter for sentencing and later sentenced him to 15 years in prison.
She suspended two years for five years on condition Makaka does not commit a similar offence within that period.
In aggravation, Mrs Tinashe Kanyemba-Makiya said: "If the court may consider that the accused took advantage of the girl's hearing impediment and the fact that she was unable to communicate.
"He also put the girl's health at risk of HIV and Aids because he had unprotected sexual intercourse with her."
Ms Chigwaza concurred with the State and said a deterrent sentence must be imposed to send a message to would-be offenders.
Sometime in March last year, the victim who is a student at a local school for the deaf, was at home where they are tenants at the same house with Makaka.
The court heard that around 7pm, she went into the kitchen to wash the dishes and Makaka followed her.
He grabbed her hand and dragged her to the toilet where he raped her once.
Makaka repeatedly sexually abused her on several occasions and the victim kept it a secret.
The offence came to light when she went back to school and a non governmental organisation visited her school to teach them about sexual abuse which led the girl to open up.
A police report was made leading to Makaka's arrest.