OSHAKATI - A 44-year-old man accused of raping his biological daughter was denied bail when he made his first appearance in the Oshakati Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
His case was postponed to 16 January 2025 for further police investigations.
He faces charges of rape and domestic violence.
The accused is a principal at a school in northern Namibia.
Oshana crime investigations coordinator Deputy Commissioner Fredrick Ndjadila said the victim (15) is a learner at the school headed by the accused.
The victim was allegedly raped on several occasions between December 2023 and January 2024.
It is reported she was living with her fathe,r and they would normally drive to school together.
It is further alleged that the suspect would call the victim to his bedroom to massage his feet.
“After she finished [massaging], his father turned off the light, and he told the daughter that she was grown up and that she was looking beautiful,” Ndjadila narrated.
According to the police, the father then informed the daughter that what he was doing to her was part of her training as a grown woman, forcefully undressed her, and had unprotected sexual intercourse with her under duress. Ndjadila said the father warned his daughter not to tell anyone because if she did, he would end up in jail, leaving her without a supportive father.
According to a reliable source who spoke to New Era on condition of anonymity, the accused allegedly physically assaulted his daughter after she visited her boyfriend.
The victim then “turned against her father, saying that she would notify people of being raped by him.”
Approached for comment, education executive director Sanet Steenkamp confirmed that the matter has been reported to her office.
“Preliminary investigations are still underway. I request that our team follow the Public Service Commission's staff rules in terms of handling this matter,” she said.
Steenkamp added that her office is going to follow the key procedures to establish the facts, and take the necessary steps.
She said her office is ready to provide counselling services to the victim.
“Learners are currently on holiday, but the ministry will try to reach out to the victim to assist her with necessary support,” she assured.
The teachers at the school said they are concerned that if the victim returns to the same school, she will be bullied, as information about her case has spread like wildfire, and “everyone knows that she was raped by the father”.
To mitigate this, the teachers proposed that the victim be transferred to a different school as soon as possible to protect her as well as her academic future.
Eenhana rape
In a separate incident, a 15-year-old boy has been hospitalised after allegedly being gang-raped by two men on Tuesday while on their way to Eenhana in the Ohangwena region.
The two men were travelling in a Volkswagen Polo sedan, in which the victim got a lift.
The victim was also kidnapped, according to the police.
Confirming the incident, Ohangwena police spokesperson, Sergeant Simeon Haufiku said the victim was looking for transport to Eenhana at Okahange-Ondobe village when he was approached by three men in a Polo.
The suspects allegedly offered the victim transport to his destination.
Haufiku narrated that while on the way to Eenhana, one of the suspects pulled out a knife, and threatened to kill the victim.
The victim surrendered his mobile phone and an e-wallet worth N$500.
“One of the suspects undressed the boy, and raped him while the car was still moving,” Haufiku narrated the ordeal. After the first suspect finished, the second one took his turn, repeatedly raping the victim.
Haufiku said when they reached Eenhana, the suspects dropped the victim off, and returned his mobile phone after deleting the e-wallet message. The victim was later discovered by a good Samaritan, who took him to hospital.
The suspects who raped him were allegedly wearing masks, while one has been described as having brown hair.
No arrest has been made, and police investigations continue.