A newly married 36 -year-old woman and her husband have been slapped with a 17-year-jail term each after the latter raped a Grade 1 pupil with the assistance of his wife and infected the complainant with an STI.

The complainant who is a niece of the husband Benson Moyo, 26, was raped sometime in March 2020.

Masvingo Mirror reports that the State proved that Benson and his wife Tafadzwa Moyo were married for two weeks when they visited the husband’s aunt for introductions in Zvishavane.

They stayed at the auntie’s place for two days; on the third day, they were left in the custody of the auntie’s daughter after the latter put up at a funeral in the neighborhood.

Prosecutor Talent Tadenyika said after supper the minor was asked to clean the kitchen and she took some pots to the other room and Moyo followed her.

The State also proved that while outside Moyo grabbed the minor and pushed her to the ground and held the minor’s hands tightly while calling the husband to come and have sex with the complainant.

Moyo responded and raped the minor and the complainant was left with bruises on her thighs, buttocks, and legs.

The matter came to light three days later when the minor could no longer walk and she had a bad smell attributed to an STI infection.

A Police report was made leading to the arrest of the two.

Magistrate Phatekile Msipa suspended two years of the sentence on condition the two don’t commit a similar offense in the next five years.

Magistrate Msipa said that Tafadzwa might not have participated in the actual act of rape but her actions are equal to the offense.