Times Of Swaziland: 65-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR RAPE OF DAUGHTERS

65-YEAR JAIL TERM FOR RAPE OF DAUGHTERS
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BY JOSEPH ZULU  on 02/02/2018 01:43:00


PIGG’S PEAK – In an almost unprecedented rape conviction, a father has been
sentenced to 65 years behind bars for raping his two teenage daughters.
*Mjuda, who is from Mbasheni, appeared before Pigg’s Peak Principal Magistrate
Joe Gumedze yesterday.
Mjuda’s two daughters are now aged 14 and 17.
The younger one was 11 years old when she was raped while the older one was 14
years old.
The rape had been kept a secret for over two years but was exposed when
motivators from Young Heroes organisation visited a school attended by one of
the rape survivors.
Young Heroes said there were six similar cases which they were currently working
on.
The organisation empowers Swaziland’s most vulnerable youth so they may
achieve their fullest potential through life-support grants, health care, HIV
education, prevention and care programmes, educational support as well as gender
and economic empowerment programmes.
At the time, the girl had narrated the rape ordeal by her father but she later
changed her statement for fear of victimisation from family members.
She changed her story after being pressured to so by families.  After thorough
investigations, police then arrested Mjuda, who was charged with six counts of
rape with aggravating circumstances.
In the first count, Mjuda was charged with the rape of his 11-year-old daughter
*Lelo in that he had sexual intercourse with her and that she had not consented
to it.