KEY POINTS
- Accused was on parole after a prior rape conviction.
- CCTV showed the girl entering the accused’s house.
- The young victim now exhibits withdrawn behavior.
In October 2024, a 51-year-old man who was charged with raping a 9-year-old girl from Hanover Park was granted parole. The man was charged with rape, sexual assault, human trafficking, and kidnapping when he appeared in a crowded Wynberg magistrates court this morning. Additionally, authorities verified that the man was sentenced to 20 years in jail in 2005 for raping a 10-year-old child in a prior instance.
Accused in rape case released on parole
The accused contacted the little victim to get milk from a neighboring store the day she vanished, the court heard. The accused came up to her and made the request as she was making her way to the Madrassa.
The accused instructed her to put the milk on the kitchen table before closing the door after she returned with it. She then fell asleep before the alleged rape took place after he fed her a lunch that made her feel sleepy.
CCTV footage from nearby houses was examined, and it revealed that the young girl entered the accused’s home and stayed there the entire time. She was curled up in the garden when the South African Police Service (SAPS) searched the house.
The accused told the magistrate within the courtroom that he had been beaten while in police custody after being arrested.
Grandmother’s outburst after accused claims assault
The accused’s statement caused the girl’s grandma much pain, as she said she was highly offended by what he said. She said, “You hurt a child, and then you come here to complain about being assaulted by the police.”
“You deserve to be tortured for your heinous actions, and you changed that child’s life forever,” the grandmother continued.
According to Iol, the young girl’s 30-year-old mother revealed that her once-bright and active child has recently turned reclusive and inattentive.
Her daughter “sits like a zombie and zones out” for long periods of time, according to her mother’s distressing description. In order to give the accused time to find legal counsel for his defense, the court agreed to postpone the case until Friday, May 23 of next week.
