HARARE - A 39-year-old Rugare man allegedly sodomised his two-month-old baby on two occasions when his wife left him nestling their child.
Lovemore Sithole was remanded in custody to March 18 when he appeared before Harare magistrate Tendai Mahwe on Friday facing aggravated indecent assault charges.
Sithole was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
Prosecutor Sharon Mashavira alleged that on February 23 this year, Sithole was asked to play with his two-month-old daughter while his wife washed clothes outside the house.
After about 30 minutes, the wife heard the child crying and rushed into the house.
She started breast-feeding the child and Sithole left the house.
The mother then checked her baby’s napkins and noticed that the privates were swollen.
The court heard, she did not confront her husband about the issue on the day and later told him that she suspected someone had sexually abused their baby.
On March 5, Sithole was left in the care of the child while the mother went to buy vegetables.
When the mother returned, she prepared breakfast and started bathing the child.
She noticed that the bath water immediately became oily and soiled with what looked like semen.
The mother examined the child’s privates and anal passage and noticed that they were swollen and bruised.
She narrated the incident to her neighbour who advised her to with the baby for medical examinations.
The matter was subsequently reported to the police leading to Sithole’s arrest.