A 44-year-old man accused of raping his 10-year-old step-daughter hobbled into the dock in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Battered and bruised from a series of beatings at the hands of a mob when he was arrested – twice – this week, the man on Tuesday faced charges of raping the child, grooming her, exposing her to pornography and sexually assaulting her.
His identity is being withheld to protect the identity of the child.
Scores of people had gathered near the court ahead of his appearance on Thursday. Many of them bore anti-rape placards.
The man was remanded in custody, with magistrate Irfaan Khalil ordering that he be housed at the Verulam police station while a report into his injuries was finalised.
Once the report was done, the man would be moved to Westville Prison ahead of his next appearance on June 25.
The man was formerly arrested on Tuesday morning after a private security company had first detained him on Monday night after his neighbours turned on him because of his alleged abuses.
The man was handed over to police on at the time, but a formal case was not opened. Instead, the man was taken to hospital but not placed under police guard – and, as such, was able to leave the hospital on his own.
On Tuesday, the same security company found him at a local cement factory and again detained him. He was handed over to police, and has been in custody since.
Angry community members assaulted the man during both detainments.
The police officer who failed to open the case on Monday is now facing disciplinary action.
Reaction Unit South Africa spokesman Prem Balram previously told TimesLIVE that the child alleged to neighbours that she had been repeatedly abused by her step-father, triggering the mob’s action on Monday.
Man who allegedly raped his step-daughter to stay behind bars
Image: THULI DLAMINI
A 44-year-old man accused of raping his 10-year-old step-daughter hobbled into the dock in the Verulam Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Battered and bruised from a series of beatings at the hands of a mob when he was arrested – twice – this week, the man on Tuesday faced charges of raping the child, grooming her, exposing her to pornography and sexually assaulting her.
His identity is being withheld to protect the identity of the child.
Scores of people had gathered near the court ahead of his appearance on Thursday. Many of them bore anti-rape placards.
The man was remanded in custody, with magistrate Irfaan Khalil ordering that he be housed at the Verulam police station while a report into his injuries was finalised.
Once the report was done, the man would be moved to Westville Prison ahead of his next appearance on June 25.
The man was formerly arrested on Tuesday morning after a private security company had first detained him on Monday night after his neighbours turned on him because of his alleged abuses.
The man was handed over to police on at the time, but a formal case was not opened. Instead, the man was taken to hospital but not placed under police guard – and, as such, was able to leave the hospital on his own.
On Tuesday, the same security company found him at a local cement factory and again detained him. He was handed over to police, and has been in custody since.
Angry community members assaulted the man during both detainments.
The police officer who failed to open the case on Monday is now facing disciplinary action.
Reaction Unit South Africa spokesman Prem Balram previously told TimesLIVE that the child alleged to neighbours that she had been repeatedly abused by her step-father, triggering the mob’s action on Monday.
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