Rape accused in custody, awaits DNA results
The accused appeared at the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court for a bail hearing on Thursday but decided not to grant bail while awaiting DNA results. Thee matter was remanded to August 22.
A 54-year-old Mamelodi West man will remain in police custody for further investigation after his case was remanded to August 22.
The man was denied bail on Thursday, June 20 after he briefly appeared in the Mamelodi magistrate court. He is accused of the rape of an 18-year-old autistic woman.
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 instead who stays not far from the accused’s house. The family members advised them to open a case at the Mamelodi West police station.
The mother said she was disappointed because the accused was someone she knew from an early age and was not living far from where they grew up.
She said she was emotionally drained because her daughter walked alone past the accused’s house every day.
The mother wanted justice for her daughter and pleaded with the court to make an example of the accused.
She added that her daughter has started receiving counselling, and she prayed that she would heal from the incident.
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