The Doctor Strange actress Zara Phythian has been accused of repeatedly having sex with a 13-year-old girl after grooming her alongside her husband Victor Marke. The girl, who is now an adult, told the court that most of the abuse was filmed because the couple were trying to recreate pornographic scenes, the BBC has reported.
Phythian and Marke have been accused of 14 joint charges of sexual activity with a child but have denied all charges. The woman has told police that the abuse took place across three years, between 2005 and 2008, when she was 13 and 15 years old.
The woman said that she looked up to Phythian and her husband because they were both martial arts instructors. In one instance, Phythian allegedly gave her alcohol and asked her to have oral sex with Marke, who then had sex with both of them.
‘I knew it was wrong but I just didn’t know how to get out of the situation or say anything,’ she told the police, according to the BBC. ‘I remember trying to copy Zara’s reaction at the time because I looked up to her and tried to be like her in every way.’
The woman also told the court that Phythian ‘coached’ her to get better at sexual activity, according to Nottinghamshire Live. As the abuse continued, Marke threatened to smash her kneecaps if she told anyone: ‘He just said nobody would believe me if I told then anyway,’ she told the police. ‘They always had a power over me.’
Marke has been accused of four additional charges of indecently assaulting a child, by another woman who reported abuse to the police. She was also 15 when she was allegedly abused by Marke between 2002 and 2003.
Who is Zara Phythian?
Zara Phythian is an actress who gained international recognition when she secured a part in the Marvel film Doctor Strange. She was born in Nottingham and has worked as an actress, stunt double and martial arts expert. She’s a 13-time multi-style martial arts world champion and has starred in numerous films.
Who is Zara Phythian’s husband Victor Marke?
Viktor Marke is a Taekwondo and martial arts coach who has also worked as a film director and producer. He’s known for his work on Furor: Rage Of The Innocent and The Summer Of The Massacre. Elsewhere, he also worked as a stuntman on the film Landlord: Time To Pay Rent in 2015.
When did Zara Phythian and Victor Marke get married?
Zara Phythian and Victor Marke have never publicised when they got married, when they started dating or if they have children. However, the court was told that Marke was married to another woman at the time of the allegations and that his previous marriage had broken down after he started his relationship with Phythian – who was a teenager at the time.
Who did Zara Phythian play in Doctor Strange?
Zara Phythian played the sorcerer Brunette Zealot in the Marvel film Doctor Strange. She starred alongside Benedict Cumberbatch and her character was a member of the Masters of the Mystic Arts who joined the Zealots to try and defeat the Ancient One to bring Dormammu to Earth.
What other films has Zara Phythian been in?
Zara Phythian has also played parts in Transit 17, Tribal Get Out Alice, Underground, The Hike, Alien Uprising, He Who Dares, Kung Fu Darling and Brutal Dragon. She landed her debut role in 2006 in Crops.