A church bishop in Zimbabwe, accused of raping a churchgoer under hypnosis, was brought to Harare’s Victim Friendly Court last week.

Danmore Magorimbo, 45, a bishop for the Abundant Life Global Ministries in Harare, reportedly approached the woman in the prayer room and offered his counsel. According to All Africa, Magorimbo told the churchgoer that her husband transmitted evil spirits to her through sex and that she must avoid coitus with him immediately.

“He told me that my husband was satanic and most times he would order me not to be intimate with him. I was to be cleansed of the evil spirits deposited by my husband in my womb but I had no idea how,” the alleged rape victim said in her testimony.

Shortly after Magorimbo denounced the woman’s “satanic” husband, the bishop, together with an accomplice, reportedly performed a ritual that allowed them to hypnotize her, making her less resistant to sexual advances. The woman said, “When Magorimbo touched my forehead during prayers I would lose control, dance or move with closed eyes but not hitting anything.”

“Magorimbo described the process as the dance of angels. On the day he raped me, he touched my forehead and I felt weak,” she added.

After the assault, Magorimbo told the woman to celebrate and give thanks to God for making him an instrument for the ritual. “After raping me he said I should pray, thanking God for what had happened,” said the victim.

Magorimbo hit back at the woman’s narration of the story and denied rape allegations altogether. According to his personal account, it was the woman who enticed the bishop into having a sexual relationship with her.

“The woman sent messages to the accused soliciting for a relationship. She got what she was hunting for and if her husband did not come across text messages this matter would not have seen light in the court,” said Charles Chinyama, lawyer for Magorimbo.

He added, “If one is a man of God it does not mean he is devoid of human feelings or temptation.”

Magorimbo pleaded not guilty to charges of indecent assault and rape.

Cases of rape and sexual abuse within the religious community have made international headlines over the past few months. Just last September, the Inquisitr reported that a Catholic priest in Canada had been defrocked after he was found guilty of raping children and performing bestial acts.

[Image from Justin Sullivan/Getty Images]