A court on Thursday sentenced a 31-year-old serial rapist, Charles Magombedze to 72 years in prison. But the rapist instead requested for a death sentence.
The regional magistrate Dambudzo Malunga had earlier sentenced Magombedze of Chikova Village in Masvingo Province to 78 years in prison but conditionally suspended six years.
During his initial appearance in court on Tuesday, Magombedze said he was a member of a satanic cult which was bent on spilling blood and having unprotected sex and sire children with the same inclination.
According to him:
“I acknowledge that what I did is wrong, but in our cult you have to carry out the order of the leaders otherwise you will be killed and your family will be killed too. What we do is to sacrifice these people that we rape by spilling their blood.” He said
Magombedze acknowledged guilt to eight counts of rape and pleaded with the courts to hand him a death sentence.
Zimbabwe’s constitution may only permit the death penalty to be imposed on a person convicted of murder committed in aggravating circumstances.
Magistrate Malunga said Magombedze deserved severe punishment because he had behaved like a beast by committing the offences.
In his words:
“Words cannot explain how cruel and callous you are. If you as a human being cannot have mercy on your fellow human beings, then you don’t deserve to live among the people. You are someone that can be classified as an animal, you are a beast”
Armed with dangerous weapons such as iron bars, axes and machetes, Magombedze molested more than 10 victims, including a 14-year-old girl and a police constabulary’s wife.
Magombedze also faces attempted murder charges after he allegedly stabbed a woman five times in an attempt to rape her and other charges related to unlawful entry and theft.
