Durban — The trial against a 42-year-old man charged with the rape of his lover’s 10-year-old granddaughter that was meant to begin on Wednesday in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court had to be postponed due to the emotional state of the child.
It is said the family came to know about the abuse after the girl’s grandmother walked into the bedroom to find her lover on top of her granddaughter.
The accused was arrested in September last year after the matter was reported to the police. It is alleged that the victim was raped repeatedly by the accused. He is out on R4 000 bail on the condition that he relocate and have no contact with the victim and her family.
The trial proceedings are to be heard in-camera, and it had been expected that the child would lead evidence in the matter. She was to be seated in another room, and while testifying could be heard and seen via a screen monitor inside the courtroom.
Speaking outside court, Arvina Arjoon from Arvina Harricharan Attorneys, who is on watching brief for the minor child, said that she had been in the room with the child when she was interviewed by the State prosecutor before the matter was called into court.
“She kept crying, so it was decided that she needed time to recuperate because it would not have been best for her to testify,” said Arjoon.
She said the matter was provisionally adjourned to November 17.
“The accused in court through his defence indicated that he wanted to have his bail conditions changed in relation to his address. One of the conditions of his bail was to live somewhere in Durban, but now he wants to relocate closer. The investigating officer has to go and verify this intended new address. His attorney indicated that the address would be supplied directly to the State prosecutor as he did not want it known by everyone else,” she said.
Arjoon said part of the investigating officer also needed to ascertain how far the new address was from the complainant’s address.
WhatsApp your views on this story to 071 485 7995.
Daily News