By A Correspondent- A 42 year old Gokwe man has been jailed 18-years for raping and impregnating his 14-year-old daughter.

He will serve an effective 14 years behind bars after regional magistrate Lungile Ncube suspended four years on condition of good behaviour.

The man, who cannot be named to protect the girl, started raping his daughter from September 2019 when she was 14 years and the matter only came to light in September last year following the intervention of the community after she fell pregnant.

The girl reported the abuse to her mother, who instead accused her of lying. Even after telling her mother that she was pregnant, she took no action and the father continued raping her.

Members of the community waylaid the abusive man and caught him red-handed raping his pregnant daughter.

Prosecuting, Kennedy Madekutsikwa told the court that on an unknown date, but sometime in September 2019, the suspect from Chief Mukoka in Gokwe South was left with his then 14-year-old daughter after his wife went to an all-night church vigil.

“During the same night, the accused person sneaked into the complainant’s bedroom where he forced himself on the girl while she was sleeping,” said Madekutsikwa.

The man returned to his matrimonial bedroom after raping his daughter. She then reported the matter to her mother the following morning when she returned from church, but the mother threatened to assault her if she told anyone.

“She (the mother) did not believe her story and instead threatened to assault her, accusing her of lying against her husband. As a result, she did not take any action,” the court was told.

The man continued raping his daughter on a number of occasions until she fell pregnant.

The girl then confided in one of the villagers, who mobilised other villagers and waylaid the man and caught him red-handed.

Villagers teamed up with the police to arrest him.