A 54-year-old Mamelodi West man accused of raping an 18-year-old autistic woman will remain in police custody for further investigation after his case was remanded to August 22.

The Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court denied bail when he appeared in court on Thursday.

Senior prosecutor Advocate Anne-Marie Bendeman said the accused will remain in police custody pending DNA results.

“The pending DNA results are part of the investigations and were the reason given for the court not to grant bail against the accused,” said Bendeman.

“The autistic victim from Mamelodi West has allegedly been diagnosed with an intellectual development disability.”

On April 9, as the victim was on her way home from school, the accused allegedly took her to his house and raped her.

The accused was officially arrested on April 12, following thorough investigations by detectives.

The victim’s mother said her daughter told her about the incident when she came back from work in the evening.

“I called her brother and asked her to repeat what she told me. She repeated the same words ‘the accused grabbed her by force, dragged her to his house, and raped her’.

“We went to the accused’s house with my daughter, which she identified as the place where it happened,” said the mother.

She said they did not approach the accused but went to a family member who lives close to the accused’s house. The family members advised them to open a case at the Mamelodi West Police Station.

The mother said she is disappointed because the accused is someone she has known since she was young.

She said she is emotionally drained because her daughter walked alone past the accused’s house every day.

The mother wants justice for her daughter and pleaded with the court to make an example of the accused.

She said her daughter is receiving counselling and she is praying that she will heal from the incident.