Pregnant woman raped for refusing to consult a sangoma

A Chinhoyi mother-in-law helped her 20-year-old nephew rape her daughter-in-law (27) as punishment for the latter's refusal to consult a sangoma over her husband's ill-health.

The court heard the incident occurred at a farming plot near Chinhoyi on March 16 last year.

State counsel Farai Zachariah told the court that a misunderstanding arose between the complainant and her mother-in-law after the former refused to consult a sangoma over her husband's chronic illness, citing her Christian beliefs.

This irked her mother-in-law who immediately teamed up with her nephew and tied the complainant's hands and legs and dragged her to a secluded place outside the homestead.

The man raped the complainant, while the woman kept guard. The complainant later managed to untie herself and escaped before reporting the matter to police.

In aggravation, the prosecutor told the court that the rape had traumatised and undermined complainant's dignity and privacy.

The rapist was sentenced to six years in jail last Friday by Chinhoyi magistrate Solomon Jenya.

The court is yet to pass a verdict on the mother-in-law.

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