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Thupeyo Muleya –Beitbridge Bureau
A 47-year woman from Beitbridge has been jailed for an effective four years for trying to protect her husband who had raped and impregnated his 16-year-old daughter.
The accused, who is a stepmother to the victim who cannot be named, is said to have induced an abortion on her step-daughter who resultantly fell ill leading to the discovery of the anomaly.
The father who has also been arrested and is in custody is expected to stand trial for rape on 20 December.
The woman was convicted on her own plea of guilty to unlawful termination of pregnancy when she appeared before Beitbridge Magistrate Miss Vavariro Gabi on Monday afternoon.
Prosecuting, Miss Olivia Chimutinya said on December 3, the accused discovered that her 16-year-old stepdaughter was pregnant after being raped by her father.
She then connived with her husband and bought some medication to terminate the pregnancy.
After this, she instructed the complainant to insert the tablets in her genitals to terminate the pregnancy.
The teenager administered the medication as instructed and after some hours felt some abdominal pains.
The issue came to light when one of her friends got information about the incident and took her to a local religious leader where she narrated her ordeal and the matter was then reported to the police.
She was taken to Beitbridge District Hospital for medical attention where it was discovered the pregnancy had been terminated.
The couple was arrested and the medication used in the illegal abortion was recovered from their house.
Online Reporter