WINDHOEK – The 36-year-old man accused of repeatedly raping his teen stepdaughter for nearly four years was denied bail in Windhoek Magistrate’s Court yesterday.
Handing down judgement, Magistrate Samunzala Samunzala said almost every single day a minor is raped, and such cases are currently on the rise in the country thus it would not be in the interest of the public nor the administration of justice to release the accused – whose name cannot be revealed in order to protect the identity of the alleged rape victim.
Samunzala further added that only an ignorant person could turn a blind eye to the scourge of rape cases on the rise in the country. The court noted that the state has a strong prima facie case against the accused.
The accused faces multiple counts of rape for allegedly sexually violating the victim between 2015 and 2019. The sexual violation against the victim allegedly started when she was 11-years-old, according to court documents. The victim is now 15-years-old.
According to the judgement, the state witness who is a social worker and had assessed the victim testified that the sexual abuse started with the accused getting into bed with the victim which ultimately progressed to him touching the victim inappropriate on the breast, buttocks and private parts.
The victim expressed that she was worried that her mother was siding with the accused with whom she has been in a relationship with for five years and with whom she shares a son.
According to the social worker, she spoke to the victim’s mother who informed her that she was only aware of her boyfriend inappropriately touching the victim.
The mother informed her that she recommended therapy for her boyfriend but not for the victim. The mother is unwilling to walk away from her relationship with the accused, citing that she has worked hard for it. She allegedly informed the therapist that the victim seduced her alleged abuser.
The victim is currently no longer under the care of the mother. She has been placed under the care of her paternal aunt.
The suspect has been remanded in police custody and will appear in court today, after the court had postponed the case for further police investigations.
Local defence attorney Jan Wessels represented the accused in the last appearance with Rowan van Wyk prosecuting for the state.