Former police reservist arrested for raping 10-year-old girl

Police have confirmed the arrest of a former SAPS reservist in Mitchell’s Plain on allegations of  raping a 10-year-old girl and sexually assaulting her mother.

The suspect made an appearance in the Mitchell’s Plain Magistrate's Court this week following his arrest.

Police spokesperson, FC van Wyk, said the matter was now in the hands of their Family, Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS).

“This office can confirm a rape (victim 10 years old) and a sexual assault (victim 40 years old, mother of the 10 year old child) case registered for investigation at Mitchell's Plain SAPS,” he said.

“These cases were transferred to Mitchell's Plain FCS for further investigation.

"The suspect was arrested and appeared in the Mitchell's Plain Magistrate's Court on the mentioned charges.”

Crime whistle-blower, Zona Morton, said it was a sad reality that the judicial system did not impose hefty sentences on such offences.

 “The 4th quarter crime stats revealed a shocking increase in violent crimes against women and children,” she said. 

“This rape of two people, one a minor by a former reservist is shocking as it is not even calculated into the latest statistics. 

“Despite the President declaring GBVF+ a pandemic the judicial system has not reflected harsh punishments for rape specifically against children. 

“We recently saw a parolee who was sentenced for raping a 10-year-old being released just to rape another innocent 9-year-old. 

“Why is due diligence not done before releasing such criminals?

"Why was there no engagement with the community and SAPS before this person was released?

"We will in future have to charge departments for being accomplices if this spate of violence against children does not stop.”

Meanwhile, the 23-year-old daughter who wanted to “face her father” in open court for allegedly subjecting her to disturbing acts of sexual abuse and rape, will be allowed to testify via closed circuit television (CCTV). 

The state made the application after she collapsed twice during cross examination last week in the Kimberley Magistrate's Court. 

The accused is facing seven charges for acts that were allegedly committed between 2002 and 2017 while she was under the age of 16 years, at Rooifontein farm, Orania, and Cape Town.

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

The defence objected to the application where legal representative for the accused Advocate Johan van Niekerk argued that the complainant chose to continue her testimony in open court after her first collapse. 

State advocate Jacques Rosenberg said the court was at liberty to exercise its discretion in light of the witness becoming unconscious after she had collapsed.

The magistrate acknowledged that the witness became distressed where court proceedings could not continue. 

“She was unable to recall what had happened during the episode. She also suffers from a heart condition and was diagnosed with post traumatic stress disorder. This highlights how fragile her condition  is and further stress could jeopardise her health and compromise her well being,” the court found. 

The case was postponed to October 27.

Additional reporting by Sandi Kwon Hoo (Diamond Fields Advertiser)

Cape Argus