Windhoek
A man in his twenties, a stepson of National Assembly member Mike Kavekotora, was arrested on Sunday for allegedly raping a four-year-old girl at a village near Opuwo.
It is alleged that Nanguriouoye Viaruka Kazombaruru went to a homestead where the victim lives and committed the heinous act. Sources say the victim’s mother reported the case to the police after other children in the area alerted her to what had transpired while she was away.
Upon learning of the reported rape, the victim’s mother took her to Opuwo Hospital for medical treatment where medical personnel insisted that the police be involved. A case of rape was subsequently opened and Kazombaruru arrested.
Kazombaruru appeared before Assistant Magistrate Becklina Lanter and Prosecutor Aubrey Ndlovu in the Opuwo Magistrate’s Court yesterday and was informed about his rights, including the option of applying for bail.
An application for bail, however, does not guarantee that bail will be granted, it was further explained. He was remanded in custody. His next court appearance is scheduled for January 7, 2016 as the case was postponed to allow for further police investigations.
Rape has been one of the many heinous crimes that have plagued Namibia in recent years, and not even the stiffest sentences have deterred would-be offenders from committing the crime. In July, the Namibian Police announced that it has opened rape cases every week since January, with between one and five rapes reported each week. Most of the rape cases opened in recent times involve the abuse of minors.