A VICTORIA FALLS man who allegedly raped his wife’s two minor daughters from her previous marriage and infected them with HIV is expected to stand trial next Monday in Hwange. The two minors aged eight and six years also sustained injuries after the 34-year-old man from Chinotimba suburb also had anal sex with them.

The alleged rapist stepfather, who cannot be named to protect the identity of the two minors, faces two counts of rape. It could not be established if aggravated indecent assault charges will also be preferred against him for having anal sex with the girls.

The man allegedly abused the two girls when they visited their mother in December last year. Their mother lives in Victoria Falls with the alleged rapist while her children live with their maternal grandmother in Ndlovu area just outside the resort town.

According to court documents, both the accused who is a fuel dealer and the girls’ mother allegedly tried to conceal the offence by forcing the minors to implicate a neighbour who was arrested and detained in January.

The neighbour was only released after residents tipped police that he was being framed.