A Zimbabwean national (34) arrested on Valentine’s Day this year on a charge of rape of a three-year-old has been granted bail.
He was granted bail on May 12.
The accused has since his arrest in February been in police custody and was previously denied bail twice.
At the time of the alleged rape, the accused was transporting the victim from crèche to her home in Modderfontein.
According to the minor’s grandmother (51), the accused must now report to a police station on Mondays and Fridays in order to comply with the conditions of his bail.
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“It was made known to me that the suspect’s lawyer made an appeal in the high court, where the judge ruled that it was unfair not to grant him bail in the first place,” said the grandmother.
The 51-year-old granny said that since the man’s release, she has been living in fear.
“We are very afraid. His wife threatened to kill me previously. She said I would raise my granddaughter from six feet under. Now that the husband is out of jail, I don’t know what he will do.”
She said she had since been warned that she should be very careful, as she was dealing with a dangerous man.
“The investigating officer informed me that the ruling in the high court stated that the suspect should not contact me or come anywhere near me, but you never know what a person is capable of,” she added.
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When asked about her granddaughter, she said the little girl was doing fine.
“She has received counselling, but she sometimes gets angry and say things such as, ‘Malume (which means uncle in Isizulu; referring to the accused) – I don’t like him, I don’t want him, we shouldn’t give him our food’,” explained the granny.
The investigating officer assured the grandmother that although the suspect had been granted bail, the case was not over and would be continuing.
Court proceedings started on Wednesday, May 24, at the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court.
The NEWS is awaiting comment from the Tembisa SAPS Child Protection Unit.
https://www.citizen.co.za/bedfordview-edenvale-news/295595/latest-edenvale-father-arrested-for-alleged-rape-of-daughter/
