A WOMAN from Highfield, Harare, allegedly helped her husband rape a 17-year-old Form 3 student in her presence on several occasions.
The 29-year-old man and his wife (46) appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa, who remanded them in custody to today for bail application.
The State alleged that during the April 2023 school holidays, the juvenile used to visit the couple’s residence during weekends to do laundry and other house chores for a fee.
On those visits, she would sleep at the couple’s residence during the weekends.
It is alleged that the woman at some point approached the victim and told her that her husband was deeply in love with the minor.
She promised to pay her school fees, buy her a laptop and cellphone if she slept with her husband.
The following day, her husband proposed love to the minor, but she turned down his request.
The woman allegedly approached the victim again asking her to give in to her husband’s advances.
On an unknown date during midnight, the husband sneaked into the victim’s blankets and started fondling her breasts.
According to court papers, the minor was ordered to remain quiet and forced to sleep in the couple’s bed where the wife was lying naked.
The man raped the minor in his wife’s presence, the court heard.
It is said the sexual abuse continued on several occasions on weekends between May 2023 and May this year in the presence of the man’s wife.
The minor reported the sexual abuse to her aunt whom she had visited during the August holidays in Cold Comfort in Harare, leading to the couple’s arrest.