Protests at rape trial with ties to cold case
COMMUNITY members, together with the family of missing Mitchells Plain mother Raymonde Boltman, are calling for her estranged boyfriend accused of rape to stay behind bars.
They hoisted placards outside of the Mitchells Plain Magistrates Court yesterday and handed in a petition in a bid to oppose the bail application of Umir Pregnolato of Woodlands.
The State is set to prove Pregnolato allegedly raped a female relative at a residence in Woodlands last month. It is unclear whether an assault charge will be added.
Pregnolato is the ex berk of Boltman, who went missing on April 20 2016 after she was escorted to the bus stop at Clocktower, Lentegeur, Mitchells Plain and was en route to work and was never seen again.
Last year, Boltman’s mother, Lillian, told the Weekend Argus that she refused to declare her daughter as deceased as requested by police officials.
Lillian together with her children called on police to charge and prosecute the man she was last seen with and requested that cellphone records, including CCTV footage, to be reviewed again.
Police previously conducted a search at Pregnolato’s backyard but did not find any new information.
Boltman’s sister, Jihan Mohammad, said Pregnolato posed a danger for other women.
She says: “We as a Boltman family is against the bail of Umir. If he is capable of rape and we have always believed he is the main suspect in our sister’s disappearance.
“He was the last person who was in contact with my sister and saw her.
“If he gets bail, who says he will not do it again.”