An 18-year-old charged with the rape of his 80-year-old neighbour told the court that he got caught before he raped her.
|||Pietermaritzburg - An 18-year-old charged with the rape of his 80-year-old neighbour told the Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that he was “retarded”.
Appearing battered and bruised after being apprehended and assaulted by angry residents in Esigodini on Monday, the teenager told the court he was “retarded” and his mind was “not right”, but insisted he intended applying for bail.
Without any prompting, the teenager told a stunned court gallery that he had not raped the elderly grandmother, but that he had his pants down and “was about to rape her”, when the woman’s grandson appeared and caught him. The teen was then stopped from saying anything else without legal representation and the matter was adjourned to July 31.
Police also arrested the woman’s 17-year-old grandson after the 18-year-old neighbour told police they had raped the woman together.
However, subsequent investigations concluded that there was no evidence against the grandson, and he was released.
Police spokesman Lieutenant Joey Jeevan said it was believed that the woman’s younger grandson and the 18-year-old neighbour were watching TV in the lounge when the grandson went into the kitchen to make tea.
“On returning to the lounge, the grandson noticed that the neighbour had disappeared,” said Jeevan.
She said it was alleged that he then went to his grandmother’s bedroom and found the 18-year-old neighbour allegedly raping his grandmother.
The grandson ran out of the house, shouting for assistance. Neighbours responded and allegedly assaulted the teenager before handing him over to the police.
The woman was receiving counselling.
Meanwhile, KwaZulu-Natal MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison Willies Mchunu has expressed shock at the alleged rape.
“The alleged incident raises serious questions about the degree and extent of the erosion of morals and lack of respect in our society,” said Mchunu.
Daily News