WINDHOEK – The Katutura Magistrate’s Court has refused to release on bail a man suspected of preying on women in Windhoek’s Goreangab informal settlement.
Making his initial court appearance last Thursday before Magistrate Johannes Shuuveni, Fillipus Hamutenya was denied bail.
According to the state, it would not be in the public’s interest nor administration of justice to have Hamutenya released on bail.
Furthermore, more cases of theft and rape are yet to be opened against him.
Hamutenya is currently being charged with one count of possession of suspected stolen goods. During court proceedings the prosecutor Michael Munika informed the court that members of the public have identified their stolen goods found in Hamunyela’s shack.
According to the police, on the day of his arrest, on August 3, Hamunyela had allegedly broken into a shack where a couple was sleeping in Goreangab location. Hamunyela allegedly tied up and blindfolded the man, and thereafter proceeded to tie up the woman and sexually violated her.
Members of the public followed the suspect to his shack, where they brutally assaulted him. The public said they were tired of his crimes. The public proceeded to remove all suspected stolen items from the suspect’s shack and laid them outside. The public meted out mob justice before they called the police to arrest him.
It is alleged that Hamunyela, who is well known to the community, would force his way into shacks, force his victims to cook food for him and would then rape them before stealing from them.
According to the police at the time, although there are currently four to five cases of rape reported, the suspect cannot be linked to them yet and police investigations are still under way.
The suspect could not make his first appearance in court when he was arrested earlier this month as he was hospitalised in a critical state after being brutally beaten up by the community on August 3.
A video of the suspect being beaten by the mob went viral on social media. In the video, the suspect could be seen badly bruised and finding it very hard to stand and walk by himself.
Hamunyela is expected to appear in court on December 19 after the court postponed the matter to give him ample time to acquire legal representation.