Woman, 22, accused of helping husband rape 10-year-old sister for rituals

A 20-year-old woman from Garikai, Whitecliff North, appeared in court last week on allegations of assisting her husband to rape her 10-year-old sister and collecting blood for suspected ritual purposes.

The woman and her 22-year-old husband are jointly charged with two counts of rape. They appeared before Harare magistrate Marehwanazvo Gofa and were remanded in custody, and advised to apply for bail at the High Court.

The court heard that the complainant had travelled to Whitecliff for the holidays on 10 August 2026.

It is alleged that about a week later, while she was sleeping in the same room as her sister’s young son, her brother-in-law entered the room. Her sister is accused of locking the door from outside and leaving the child with her husband.

The brother-in-law allegedly raped the complainant, threatened her with a knife, and collected blood in a container.

The court heard that the sister returned in the morning, opened the door, and the couple then left with the bottle, taking it to an unknown place.

On the following day, the brother-in-law is alleged to have entered the room again and telephoned his wife to lock the door from outside while he raped the complainant for a second time.

The matter came to light on 15 September 2026, when the complainant confided in her grandmother, who assisted her in filing a police report, leading to the couple’s arrest.

The complainant was referred to hospital for medical examination, and the medical report is expected to be produced in court as an exhibit.

More: The Herald