The case against a Mossel Bay pastor who is accused of the rape of a woman, who was 20-years-old at the time, continued in the Mossel Bay Regional Court yesterday (June 11), where the defense’s application to have the case dismissed was rejected by the court, reports Mossel Bay Advertiser.

Fostino Jacobs, a man in his 60s, is facing eight counts of rape, believed to have occurred in 2021.

He was arrested in 2023 and is currently out on bail. Later, during a previous court appearance, he entered a plea of not guilty.

During today’s appearance, the court accepted evidence that the alleged incidents between Jacobs and the victim took place.

Jacobs also reportedly admitted that the victim had lived with him and his family for some time, at the time of the alleged incidents.

The victim has maintained that she never gave the accused permission to touch her.

The magistrate said after extensive questioning throughout previous court appearances, some inconsistencies were found in the evidence presented by the state and the victim’s testimonies, and that the absence of two critical witnesses has weakened the state’s case.

However, even with some inconsistencies present, a single statement of evidence from the victim’s testimonies could be considered credible.

Therefore, the defense’s application to dismiss the case was denied by the court.

Jacobs’s bail has been extended until his next appearance in court on June 19.

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