A man who was arrested last year on suspicion that he robs and prey on lone women in Windhoek’s Goreangab is set to stand trial in August in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court.

The court set the date of 5 August for the start of Fillipus Hamutenya, when he made an appearance before magistrate Alice Gawanas for a trial date last week.

Appearing on a N$4 000 bail, Hamutenya is expected to be tried on one count of possession of suspected stolen goods. Although he is suspected of rape, there is currently no case opened against him, according to the police.

Hamutenya was arrested 3 August 2019 after he had allegedly broken into a shack where a couple was sleeping in Goreangab location. He allegedly tied up and blindfolded the man; thereafter he proceeded to tie the woman and then sexually violated her.

Members of the public followed the suspect to his shack, where they brutally assaulted him. They said they were tired of his crimes. The community proceeded to remove all suspected stolen items from the suspect’s shack and laid them outside. They then meted out mob justice before they called the police to arrest him. The suspect was allegedly brutally beaten up by the community on the date in question and at the time a citizen’s arrest was made before he was handed over to the police.  A video of the suspect brutally beaten by the mob went viral on social media. In the video, the suspect could be seen badly bruised and finding it very hard to stand and walk by himself. It is alleged that Hamutenya, who is well known to the community, would force his way into shacks, force his victims to cook food for him and would then rape them before stealing from them.

According to the police at the time, although there are currently four to five cases of rape reported, the suspect cannot be linked to them yet and police investigations are still under way. mamakali@nepc.com.na