A Windhoek resident who is accused of 23 offences, including the rape and mutilation of a 10-year-old girl in 2018, pleaded not guilty to all charges yesterday in the High Court before Judge Dinnah Usiku. 
Gavin Gawanab did not offer a plea explanation and indicated to the court through his State-funded lawyer that the burden of proof is on the prosecution to prove its case. 

Gawanab is accused of attempted murder after strangling the minor girl with intent to murder her, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and a further count of rape of the same victim. 

All of this is said to have happened on 26 October 2018 near farm Satan Loch in the Windhoek area. 
After allegedly violating the little girl he went into hiding in the mountains surrounding Windhoek, causing a massive manhunt for him. He was on bail for a number of offences at the time of the attack on the minor girl. 

It is further alleged that he assaulted another girl near the same farm on 29 September 2018. He allegedly grabbed her by her waist tightly and dragged her, causing injuries. 

He also allegedly assaulted another young girl by stabbing her with an arrow and hitting her with his fist on 29 April 2017 in the Havana area of Windhoek before he proceeded to rape her and robbed her of money. 
On the same day, the indictment read, Gawanab assaulted another young woman on the same day and in the same area by stabbing her with an arrow. 

He is further facing another count of assault with an intent to cause grievous bodily harm after stabbing another young woman on 2 September 2016 in Havana. 

On the same day, he also allegedly threatened to stab another girl at the same location.  
It is further alleged that on the same day in the same location Gawanab forced another woman into a room and made her remove all her clothes under duress and attempted to rape her. 

He is facing further counts of attempted murder, housebreaking with intent to rape and rape read with the provisions of the Domestic Violence Act for raping another under-aged girl in the same location on 26 September 2015. 
He also faces charges of assault by threat and crimen injuria for an incident that happened on 14 May 2013 at farm Oas in the Windhoek District where he swore at two complainants and threatened to stab them with a knife. 

It is further alleged that on 22 December 2012 near Daan Viljoen in the Windhoek District, Gawanab attempted to rape another minor girl and tried to murder her by strangulation. 

The matter is currently being heard in camera at the child-friendly courtroom at the High Court as most of the complainants are minors. The State is represented by Innocencia Nyoni and the accused by Mbanga Siyomunji on instructions of legal aid.
– rrouth@nepc.com.na