A couple from Filabusi has appeared before Gwanda magistrate court for allegedly raping their 17-year-old niece on three separate occasions during her stay at their home resulting in her falling pregnant.
According to the State papers, the complainant went to visit her aunt and her husband at their home in Filabusi in August last year during the school holidays.
“During her stay, the uncle allegedly raped her on three separate occasions with the assistance of his wife who is the complainant’s aunt.
“The complainant did not disclose her ordeal and the matter only came to light in November last year when her grandmother realised that the teen was pregnant.
“In August 2018 during the school holidays, the complainant visited her aunt and her husband at their homestead in Filabusi.
“A few days after her arrival accused persons approached her in the spare bedroom where she was sleeping at about midnight.
“Her aunt then allegedly pleaded with her to have sexual intercourse with her husband and she refused.
“The aunt went on to hold her hands while her husband removed her clothes and proceeded to rape her once.
“The accused persons committed the same offence on two other occasions. The complainant’s aunt warned her against reporting the matter to anyone before giving her a cell phone in order to buy her silence,” read the State papers.
The matter came to light in November last year when the complainant’s grandmother suspected that the teenager was pregnant.
She questioned her granddaughter who then revealed what happened and the matter was reported to the police resulting in the arrest of the accused persons.
Meanwhile, the couple was supposed to appear before Gwanda regional magistrate, Mr Mark Dzira for trial but the matter was postponed to a date yet to be advised.
This was after the State indicated that the complainant could not make it to court as she was not feeling well.
The woman is facing three counts of being an accomplice to rape while her husband is facing three counts of rape.