Teen accused of raping cousin (10) denied bail

A 19-year-old teenager charged with the rape of his 10-year-old cousin has been denied bail.

On Monday, the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court denied the accused bail and postponed the case to June 3 for further investigations.

According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana, the victim’s mother and the accused’s mother are siblings.

Mahanjana says the girl visited her aunt, where the accused lives. On the evening of April 13, the victim and accused slept on the floor, while the aunt slept in a bed in the same room.

“Around 23:00, after the aunt switched off the lights, she noticed movement on the floor where the two were sleeping. The aunt then uncovered the two and saw that her son was naked and the victim [had] no underwear,” says Mahanjana.

She says when the aunt asked what was happening, the 10-year-old told her that the accused raped her.

“The aunt then called the mother of the victim, told her what had happened and reported the matter to the police the following morning.”

The accused was arrested on April 14, after he handed himself over to police in the presence of his mother and the victim’s mother.

“In court, the accused denied committing the offence and asked to be released on bail because he is still a school-going learner (Grade 11).

“He also argued that his further incarceration will affect him negatively, he will miss his exams and will not be able to continue with his schooling,” says Mahanjana.