Convicted child rapists Marinus and Morné Kemp have had their bail extended by the Pretoria High Court on Friday, despite the court previously revoking it, raising questions about potential special treatment after the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed they remained free due to an agreement with their legal representative.

AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit spokesperson Barry Bateman said this order confirms what they said earlier, that the brothers received special treatment.

“If the effect of filing the appeal with the SCA had the effect of suspending the order that cancelled their bail and ordered they report to the police station, there would have been no need for them to apply for the bail to be extended.”

He said their office was not informed of this bail application despite being on record for the victim and her family.

“This is a shocking disregard for the victims of crime. We suspect this was done in order to escape public scrutiny because the court might have asked the prosecutor to explain why the pair were not arrested.”

The NPA also confirmed that no date has been set for the brothers’ bail hearing. A date for the appeal has also not been disclosed.

In October 2022, the Pretoria Magistrates Court convicted the Kemp brothers for the 2018 rape of a 14-year-old girl.

The families of the victim and the accused were once close friends, living in the same neighborhood from 2014 to 2018 and frequently spending time together.

The daughters in both families developed a special bond, leading to many visits and sleepovers, fostering a sense of trust and familiarity between them.

At the time of the incident, Morné, one of the accused brothers, was living in a separate flat on the property of Marinus.

The court order revealed the shocking details that the rape took place during a sleepover in the house of Marinus, in a room where his own children were also sleeping.

The court sentenced Morné to 25 years’ imprisonment and Marinus to a 20 year jail term.

They immediately appealed their conviction and have been on bail since then. On October 30, the Pretoria High Court dismissed the appeal and revoked their bail.

The court ordered the brothers to surrender themselves within seven days to the investigating officer or report to the Pretoria North police station to be arrested and start serving their sentence.

Bateman said the unit represents the victim and her mother, who approached the unit after learning that her daughter’s convicted rapists had not been arrested, despite their unsuccessful appeal.

The mother could not obtain clear answers from the authorities and remains concerned because the two men live in her neighbourhood.

The victim’s mother has voiced her anger and frustration over the ongoing situation.

“For two years, they’ve been out on bail, free to live as they wish, while we remain trapped like prisoners in our own home. This special treatment is unacceptable—this case needs to be fully investigated, yet I receive no updates at all.

“People like this go out on bail and keep repeating the same crimes. Why are these brothers receiving special privileges? Is it because they’re white? To me, crime has no color. No one showed my daughter any mercy for what happened to her.”

Also read: NPA under fire for granting ‘special treatment’ to convicted rapists

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