No bail for NC cop accused of raping girlfriend
A Northern Cape police officer has been denied bail. Picture: Independent Newspapers
By Robin-Lee Francke
A 34-YEAR-old police constable from Richmond, Northern Cape, has been remanded in custody after appearing in the Richmond District Court. The officer has been charged with the rape of his 21-year-old girlfriend.
The provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said that the prosecution, with the assistance of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigator, opposed the officer’s bail application. The opposition was based on the seriousness of the offence and the potential risk to the safety of the complainant if the accused were to be released on bail.
The accused officer, through his legal representative, assured the court that he would comply with all bail conditions, including monitoring by the South African Police Service (SAPS). He argued that this would be sufficient to assure the court that he posed no danger to the complainant.
However, the court did not concur with the submissions made by the accused. Senokoatsane explained, “The court disagreed that the accused could do this, and advanced, among limited resources and manpower, the fact that the constable himself did not even always report on duty and had a history of unpaid leave, thereby crippling an already struggling SAPS to monitor and prevent crime.”
As a result, the court denied bail and ordered the constable to remain in custody until the completion of the matter. The case has been postponed until July 23 for further investigation.