Mother of allegedly raped child, accused of neglect, gets released on warning
Despite a community petition urging the court to deny bail and hold her accountable, the mother of an allegedly raped child, accused of child neglect, was released on warning.
A mother accused of child neglect has been released on warning (free bail) after appearing in court recently. This despite a petition from community members urging the court to deny her bail, according to ActionSA councillor Sello Mabelebele.
Read more: Cosmo City demands justice for assaulted girl
Mabelebele, who submitted the petition on behalf of the community, was called to the stand during the court proceedings. The judge asked him two questions. First, whether he agreed with the woman’s son, who had testified that life would be difficult for the family without their mother. Mabelebele told the court that the community still wanted bail to be denied, stating that the mother should be held accountable for what happened to her child, who was allegedly raped as a result of neglect.
The judge then asked Mabelebele if he would be willing to take care of the family if the mother remained in custody, to which he replied no, explaining that the mother had not been caring for her children. He also mentioned that community members had said the woman was often seen drunk, reportedly intoxicated on the day of the incident.
Also read: Randburg police arrest two men for separate rape incidents over weekend
Despite these concerns, the judge granted her release on warning, noting that she could not afford to pay any bail amount.
There was, however, a positive outcome. Mabelebele said the prosecutor announced that a separate case would be opened in the children’s court to deal with the safety and well-being of the mother’s two other children. This matter is set to be before the court on September 17.
As for the rape case, the prosecutor said they are still waiting for a report from a forensic social worker, which is expected within three to four weeks. Once received, the matter will proceed.
The Randburg Sun will continue to follow this developing story.
Follow us on our Whatsapp channel, Facebook, X, Instagram and TikTok for the latest updates and inspiration! Have a story idea? We’d love to hear from you – join our WhatsApp group and share your thoughts!
Related article: Raped by her father
