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Ivan Zhakata Court Correspondent
A Harare woman yesterday defended her husband, who is alleged to have raped a 13-year-old girl, saying the two were in love.
Mercy Marowa had been hauled before the Harare Civil Court by the minor’s mother (name withheld), who was seeking a peace order against her on behalf of her teenage daughter.
The minor’s mother told magistrate Meenal Narotam that Marowa was in the habit of harassing her child ever since her husband allegedly raped her daughter and fled the country after she filed a police report.
She told the court that Marowa was always accusing her child of destroying her marriage and she now feared for her safety.
“She is married to a man who raped my daughter, but she is abusing my daughter. I reported the rape matter to Stoddard Police Station, but the man ran away. He escaped while we filed the police report, he was not arrested. The problem now is after her husband raped my daughter, Mercy started verbally abusing her, saying she is a prostitute wanting to destroy her marriage. She said my daughter must forget that her husband was going to marry her and she also assaulted her on several occasions,” she said.
She told the court that Marowa’s husband is reported to have escaped to Malawi after he allegedly raped her daughter.
She said Marowa was once arrested for assaulting her daughter and she is always emotionally abusing child.
“She is always mocking my daughter and demeaning her, alleging that my daughter and her husband were in love so she was not raped. She is always defending her husband and I am now living in fear of my daughter’s safety,” she said.
Marowa refuted the allegations and told the court that the minor was having a sexual relationship with her husband.
“I leave home at five in the morning and come back in the evening so I do not know how I am harassing her child,” she said.
“I deny all the allegations, I only insulted her daughter once when we had an argument. It is not true that my husband raped her daughter, but the two were in love.
“I once caught them at my husband’s brother’s house, kissing. She only wants to destroy my marriage. I also heard rumours that her daughter would come to my house during my absence to see my husband.”
Ms Narotam granted the peace order and ordered Marowa not to abuse the child in any way.
Online Reporter