A 25-year-old man from Bulilima allegedly raped his ex-wife’s 45-year-old mother as ‘punishment’ for ill-treating him during the time he was married to her daughter.
The man allegedly committed the crime in the presence of the woman’s husband who is visually impaired.
The suspect, who cannot be identified to protect the identity of his victim, appeared before Plumtree magistrate Mr Taurai Manwere.
He was remanded in custody to April 20.
Prosecuting, Mr Elisha Mazorodze said the man crept into the woman’s bedroom hut on February 29 at around 4AM while she was asleep with her two daughters aged eight and 11-years-old.
“He went into the woman’s bedroom hut where she was sleeping with her two daughters and entered through an unlocked door. The woman heard noises as he entered and woke up to inquire but she couldn’t see anything as it was dark.
He punched her on her ear and she screamed alerting her husband who was sleeping in a separate hut. Her husband who is blind woke up and proceeded to his wife’s bedroom hut to find out what was happening,” he said.
Mr Mazorodze said the accused person pushed the man to the floor and threatened to stab him with a knife if he tried to stop him.
He said the accused person told the woman that he wanted to punish her for being problematic during the time he was her son-in-law.
Mr Mazorodze said the man dragged the woman out of her homestead for about 200 metres leaving her husband behind.
He said the blind man tried to follow in a bid to rescue his wife but failed.
He called out to their neighbours for help but no one turned up.
“He dragged the woman into a bush where he ripped her clothes off and raped her once. After he was done he stood up and the woman took advantage and fled to a neighbour’s homestead where she sought refuge,” said Mr Mazorodze.
He said the matter was reported to the police resulting in the suspect’s arrest.