Iuze Mukube

The testimony of the father of a four-month-old baby, who was allegedly abducted and subsequently raped by a 46-year-old man in 2016 was heard before Judge Claudia Claasen yesterday.

The father, who will not be named to protect the identity of the toddler, told the court he woke up to the cries of his then four-month-old baby around 4am on a Saturday on 12 November 2016.

After waking up his girlfriend, the mother of the child, on suspicion that the baby may need to be breastfed, he was later informed that the baby was naked under the blanket.

The night before, they went to sleep after the baby was dressed in a nappy and a trouser.

Hence, after checking, the father testified that he found his daughter naked, covered with a blanket, with blood around her private parts.

“I was very angry and went to my grandmother’s house to inform her that my daughter has been raped or something and that she is having blood around her vagina parts,” he said.

From there, he went to the clinic and his brother informed him after hearing what happened that he saw the accused, Jonas Murao leaving and closing the door of his house.

He reported the matter to the police and upon questioning he told the police the people who were at his house the night before.

On that Friday before the incident, he testified he had three visitors at his house, two of his sisters, his friend (the accused), including himself, his girlfriend and baby.

They ate potjie and drank traditional beer on that day, and later his sisters left one after the other, leaving the accused behind.

It was only later into the night, that the accused, Murao, was asked to leave but the father said he noticed that Murao looked unhappy when he left.

After the accused left, he heard screaming from outside that someone wanted to forcefully have sexual intercourse with someone, and although this person was not identified, one of his sisters said she recognised the person.

This person was accompanied by a brown dog, but since he ran away, they decided to leave the matter there.

He testified they went back to sleep but from there he does not know when the baby was taken or when she was returned.

He only woke up when she started crying in the middle of the night.

Murao faces a total of nine charges, including three counts of housebreaking with intent to steal and theft, one count of housebreaking with intent to rape and rape, two counts of housebreaking with intent to rape and attempted rape, two further counts of rape, and one count of abduction.

The State alleges that on three instances in 2008 at Hoachanas in the district of Mariental, the accused broke into the shop of Rudolf Beukes with intent to steal and stole alcohol, cigarettes and cash.

On three other instances, he allegedly broke into the residence of three women and committed a sexual act while they were asleep between 2012 and 2016.

Additionally, Murao allegedly broke into the residence of the mother of a four-month old baby girl, abducted her and committed a sexual act with the toddler by inserting his penis or finger or object into her vagina.

Peru Liebenberg is representing the accused while Dominic Lisulo represents the State.

The matter continues in the Windhoek High Court. -mukubeiuze@gmail.com