Rasbert Turner, Star Writer

Spanish Town

A Christian man from St Catherine was recently brought before the court after he was accused of raping the woman he was engaged to marry.

The man was offered $50,000 bail in his own surety when the matter came up in the Spanish Town Resident Magistrate's Court.

Allegations are that on May 9, the church sister, who would have been married in a few months, was raped.

It was, however, outlined in court by the investigating officer that the couple had had sex on two occasions before she was raped. She went on to tell the court that the complainant had told her that she and the accused had sworn before an elder of the church not to have sex before marriage.

RM Lorna Errar enquired: "did you agree not to have sex with the complainant until you were married?" The man responded, "No, your honour."

He insisted that they had had consensual sex, although as Christians it was wrong.

In applying for bail, the accused man's attorney also pointed out that the couple had had consensual sex and that at no time was force or fraud used in order to commit the acts.

The RM granted the accused man bail on condition that he appeared for his next court date, June 6.

He was also warned to keep away from the complainant and to find a different church to attend.