A 19-year-old Zimbabwean national who is accused of r@ping his cousin has been denied bail by the Pretoria Magistrate Court in Gauteng. It is alleged that the 10-year-old victim had visited her aunt when the hilarious act transpired on 13 April 2024. The victim’s mother and the @ccused’s mother are siblings.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said that the r@pe happened when the accused and victim were sl33ping together on the floor. “The victim and the @ccused slept on the floor while the aunt sl3pt on the b3d in the same room.
Source reveals that at about 23h00, after the aunt had switched off the lights, she noticed movement on the floor where the two were sl3ping, the aunt then uncovered the two and she saw her son n@ked and the victim with no underw3ar. When she asked what was happening, the 10-year-old told her that the @ccused r@ped her. The aunt then called the mother of the victim and told her what had happened and reported the matter to the police the following morning. The accused was arrested on 14 April 2024, after he handed himself over in the presence of his mother and the mother of the victim,” she said.
In court, Mahanjana said the accused denied committing the offence and through his legal representative, the @ccused asked to be released on bail because he is still a school-going learner in grade 11 at a private school. “He also argued that his further incarceration will affect him negatively and he will miss writing his exams and will not be able to continue with his schooling. He further told the court that he intends to plead not guilty to the charges.
However, state prosecutor Chris Maruma opposed the @ccused release on bail and told the court that the @ccused was a flight risk because he was illegal in the country. Furthermore, the accused is known to the victim and can therefore influence the victim to withdraw charges,” she said. Mahanjana said the magistrate agreed with the state that the accused was a flight risk therefore bail was denied, and the matter was postponed to 03 June 2024 for further investigations.
Source Zimoja
