The prosecutor general has decided to arraign a Windhoek resident who confessed under oath for abducting and sexually violating a minor in 2019. Jeremia van Wyk has been charged with a count of rape, abduction with an alternative count of kidnapping.
The prosecutor general further decided to have Van Wyk tried in the High Court for his alleged crimes. He is expected to make his first appearance on 18 March for a pre-trial conference.
Van Wyk was informed of the prosecutor general’s decision when he made an appearance before magistrate Niinja Hochobes in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court on Friday. Van Wyk was arrested on 1 August 2019 after he was found in the company of a minor girl who was reported missing from school.
During his first appearance, Van Wyk confessed to the crimes. He informed the court that he picked up the little girl on the date in question around 13h00 from her school in the area of Khomasdal.
The accused further explained that they walked from the victim’s school to Katutura where he sexually violated the minor. Van Wyk gave graphic and descriptive details of what he had done to the minor.
Following the sexual violation, he went to drink with his friends while in the company of the victim. It is his testimony that he was highly intoxicated from the drugs and alcohol he had consumed that day.
He further testified that he only realised what he had done after the effects of the drugs and alcohol started to wear off. The police arrested Van Wyk on 1 August 2019, after he was found in the company of a five-year-old girl who was reported to have gone missing from school earlier in the day.
The girl’s picture went viral that day on social media with a short description that she was missing. Police reports at the time indicated that a member of the public recognised the minor and reported to the police. According to the police, prior to his arrest, Van Wyk was released from a correctional facility nearly three years ago, having served a sentence on charges of rape and murder. - mamakali@nepc.com.na