WINDHOEK – The 25-year-old man who is due to appear in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court today after he genitally mutilated and defiled an eight-year-old girl last Friday, has 10 other criminal cases pending against him, ranging from rape to attempted rape and assault.
Cases against Gewen Gawa-Nab, 24, who targets young girls, date back to December 6, 2012 when an attempted rape case was opened with the police. Of these 10 cases, Gawa-Nab was arrested in September 2015 for raping his sister’s daughter who was six years old at the time, in Havana. The case was transferred to the regional court and he is due to appear in court in March 11-12, 2019. Gawa-Nab was out on bail on this case.
This alleged serial rapist has six cases of rape and attempted rape opened against him.
Shockingly, the young man was released three months ago this year from custody in connection with a rape which also happened in Havana last year involving an adult woman.
New Era sat down with Nampol Chief Inspector Hendrik Marthinus Olivier and Inspector Monika Kaypiti from the Gender-Based Violence Protection Unit who shared this information with the reporter.
They said Gawa-Nab also has two assault cases, one of which was struck from the roll, and also has cases opened against him by police district investigators.
Kaypiti described the young man as a psychopath, serial rapist and an individual with problems, while Olivier stated: “If he (Gawa-Nab) can rape his sister’s child what about others.” Olivier said Gawa-Nab belongs behind bars and should not be released. “He doesn’t belong in the society.”
In the latest incident, police say the eight-year-old girl from farm Satan Loch in the area of Daan Viljoen and another child were left in the care of Gawa-Nab on Friday but he threatened to harm the children, one of whom escaped.
Gawa-Nab then got hold of the victim, threatened her with a knife and tried to rape her but because penetration could not take place he took a knife and cut her private parts and then had sexual intercourse with her.
Gawa-Nab, who fled the scene after committing the act on Friday, was arrested early yesterday morning after hiding in a shack in Havana, between 00h00 and 01h00 in an intelligence-led operation.
Gawa-Nab appeared again in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning on a charge of rape of an adult woman from Havana.
He was released on N$1 500 bail in June this year after his arrest in April last year.
Magistrate Shuuveni Johannes cancelled Gawa-Nab’s bail. The matter was postponed to December 05, 2018 for laboratory results.
Gawa-Nab is still due to appear the Katutura Magistrate’s Court today in connection with the rape case of the eight-year-old girl.
In addition, Olivier told New Era that he received a call from a Nampol sergeant from Rehoboth informing him that Gawa-Nab might have a rape case that side, but surely has a theft case opened against him.
Furthermore, the first case of attempted rape against Gawa-Nab was at farm Satan Loch in the area of Daan Viljoen on December 6, 2012. He had appeared in court but the case was withdrawn on November 18, 2015 because the witnesses were not at court. Another attempted rape case and assault through threatening, which occurred at the same farm, was registered in May 2013. His last court appearance in this matter was March 28, 2014.