HERMANUS \u2013 A businessman accused of grooming and raping a 12-year old girl has been granted R10 000 bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Eric Ntabazalila, Western Cape spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), confirmed the 40-year-old accused was granted R10 000 bail \u201cdespite the state\u2019s fierce opposition to his being released on bail.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The suspect admitted that he had sexual intercourse with the girl, but stated he believed she was older. He also admitted to contacting the minor, but denied grooming her. The suspect also indicated he had three other girlfriends whom he had met on Facebook under his profile Johnny Cash \u2013 one in Grabouw and two in Hermanus, but all three were older. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThe court heard the grooming started through social media when the victim was 11-years-old. He later had physical contact with her three or four times, but without having sex,\u201d Ntabazalila stated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
After the alleged grooming began in December 2021, the alleged rape occurred in July 2022, after she had turned 12. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It reportedly occurred on the back seat of the accused\u2019s Landrover. He was arrested on 20 July, and had been in custody since then.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The accused\u2019s attorney, Willem Boshoff, argued against the fact that the charge had changed from statutory rape, a Schedule 1 offence, to that of rape, which is a Schedule 6 offence. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magistrate Andr\u00e9 Mqubu, however, ruled it should be a Schedule 6 offence, which carries a minimum sentence of 15 years\u2019 imprisonment. Because the businessman is accused of a Schedule 6 felony, the onus was on the defence to prove \u201cexceptional circumstances\u201d for the accused to be released on bail.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The court was informed the businessman\u2019s wife was a Type 1 diabetic fitted with a machine that monitors her blood-sugar levels and needed assistance with injecting herself with insulin should the machine\u2019s alarm go off to indicate her blood-sugar levels were too high.\u2013 continued on page 2<\/i><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
HERMANUS \u2013 A businessman accused of grooming and raping a 12-year old girl has been granted R10 000 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