Acting judge acquitted of rape
The former acting judge appeared in Ramsgate High Court.
A FORMER acting judge, Advocate Mayakisten Govindasamy, was acquitted of indecent assault and rape charges when he appeared before Judge Fikile Mokgohloa in Ramsgate High Court yesterday.
He was accused of indecently assaulting his niece while she lay in bed between him and his wife, in 2007 and of raping her three years later. According to press reports, he admitted that the girl had been in the bedroom on both occasions, but denied ever touching her.
Judge Mokgohloa ruled that the evidence of the girl and that of an aunt who corroborated the girl’s testimony could not be trusted. The report added that the case hinged on the testimony of the girl and her testimony had been inconsistent with statements she had given police. Her inclination to lie was a worrying factor, the judge is reported as saying.
Govindasamy claimed the girl initiated the rape charge after he threatened to expose her to her family for working at a bar where she was required to wear skimpy clothing. It has also emerged that the girl had previously falsely accused a flatmate of burglary and was subsequently charged with perjury.
Advocate Govindasamy was quoted as saying he was relieved but not elated and that that the girl who had accused him of rape needed help. The report went on to say Advocate Govindasamy was amazed at how his family had stood together. He was reportedly not considering compensation for being falsely charged, but simply wanted to ‘move on’ with his life.
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