The pastor's wife surrendered to the Montego Freeport Police Station yesterday and was charged with attempting to pervert the course of justice.

She was also charged with several offences under the Child Care and Protection Act.

Her arrest follows the detention of the mother of the 15-year-old victim on Thursday.

Both women are accused of forcing the young victim, who was reportedly raped in March this year, to withdraw her original statement to the police.

On May 28, the 15-year old reported that the pastor raped her on the church compound.

The young woman was in the communal building using the internet to do her school work.

It is alleged that the pastor pushed her onto a bed and sexually assaulted her against her will.

His wife reportedly returned from shopping and found the young woman naked.

Earlier this week, the pastor surrendered to the police after eluding them for days.

It is alleged that on June 10, the victim and her mother visited the offices of the Jamaica Constabulary Force's Centre for the Investigation of Sexual Offices and Child Abuse, intending to give a further statement to the police, to say that the initial accusation of the rape was untrue.

The police interviewed the child in a Child Protection and Family Services Agency representative.

She reportedly explained that she was being forced to give this second statement by the accused pastor, her own mother and the pastor's wife for the case to be dropped.

The child was taken to the St. James Family Court and later taken into state care for protection, said the police.

The Superintendent in charge of St James, Vernon Ellis, is warning persons not to interfere with matters before the court or being investigated by the police.