Rape accused trial set for next week Thursday
The accused is suspected of raping an autistic victim from Mamelodi West diagnosed with an intellectual development disability.
The court case of 54-year-old Mamelodi West man accused of raping an 18-year-old autistic woman was postponed to October 17.
Senior prosecutor Advocate Anne-Marie Bendeman said the investigations were completed and the case was transferred to the Pretoria regional court.
She said the accused appeared at the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court on October 3, pending further investigations and will remain in police custody.
“The case was transferred to Pretoria regional court for trial to begin,” said Bendeman.
The man was denied bail on Thursday, June 20.
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.
“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 member 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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