Latest news with #TsakaniMagistrates'Court
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
No bail for Benoni father accused of raping and impregnating his own daughter
This heart-wrenching case highlights critical issues surrounding child abuse and the systemic failures that can leave victims unprotected. Image: Pexels The Tsakani Magistrates' Court has denied bail to a 39-year-old father from Lindelani, Benoni, accused of repeatedly raping his daughter when she was just 15. The ruling was delivered on Tuesday, just days after his first court appearance. The alleged abuse began in March 2022, when the victim, who is now 18, was living with her parents and younger brother in Tsakani. According to court testimonies, the father lured the victim into their home while the mother was attending church, sending her brother out to buy chips. The father allegedly locked the door behind her, undressed both himself and the victim, and raped her before leaving the scene. Upon returning home, the mother reportedly found her daughter crying on her bed. When asked, the girl disclosed what had happened, but her mother did not believe her accusations. This pattern continued, with the mother dismissing further claims of abuse even as the rapes persisted in her absence. The girl fell ill, leading to a visit to Pholosong Hospital, where it was confirmed that she was pregnant. The mother attempted to abort the pregnancy using a concoction, which ultimately failed. The situation grew more precarious when the parents decided to move the victim to Limpopo to stay with her paternal grandmother, where she eventually gave birth to a boy in December 2022. After turning 18, the girl reported the rape and last month, she opened a case in Limpopo, prompting her father's arrest. In court, the father requested bail set at R1,000, insisting he was the primary caregiver for three other children aged 1, 12, and 18, as his unemployed wife was unable to provide for them. The National Prosecuting Authority's Lumka Mahanjana said Prosecutor Sindi Leonora Sejake countered this argument, asserting a strong case against the accused, supported by DNA evidence confirming his paternity of the victim's child. Investigating officer, Sergeant Tebogo Lephoto, further testified about the risk of witness interference, noting that the father had travelled to Limpopo in an apparent bid to confront the victim once he learned of her decision to press charges. Magistrate Tebogo Lekgau ruled against the bail application, underscoring the gravity of the allegations that could lead to a life sentence if the accused is convicted. "She highlighted the strong state case and the community outcry that necessitated the family's relocation. Emphasising the vulnerability of the child and the betrayal she faced from both her parents, first by her father's abuse and secondly by her mother's denial, Magistrate Lekgau firmly stated that it was not in the interests of justice to grant bail," Mahanjana said The case has now been postponed to August 28. IOL
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
Father accused of raping and impregnating daughter denied bail
The teens mother failed to protect her by refusing to believe her in a bid to protect her marriage. A 39-year-old father from Lindelani, Benoni, accused of raping and impregnating his daughter, will remain behind bars after he was denied bail. The man who has not been named appeared in the Tsakani Magistrates' Court on Tuesday following his initial court appearance on 08 August 2025. During the bail application, the father asked the court to release him on R1,000 bail, citing his role as the primary caregiver for his three children, aged 1, 12, and 18, since his unemployed wife cannot support them. Bail denied However, state prosecutor Sindi Leonora Sejake called investigating officer Sergeant Tebogo Lephoto, who opposed the father's release on bail because the state had a strong case against him. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said DNA evidence revealed that the man was the father of his daughter's 3-year-old child. 'Furthermore, the investigating officer testified that the accused is likely to interfere with witnesses since he went to Limpopo from Gauteng in an attempt to confront the child after he realised that the child had opened a case against him and was speaking about the matter on social media. 'Magistrate Tebogo Lekgau denied bail, noting the severity of the charge and the likelihood of a life sentence if convicted. She emphasised the strong state case, the accused's potential to evade trial, and the community outcry that prompted the family's relocation,' Mahanjana said. ALSO READ: Security officer sentenced to life for raping teen in Roodepoort Daughter failed Mahanjana added that the magistrate said the child was failed by her father as he repeatedly raped her, while her mother also failed to protect her by refusing to believe her in a bid to protect her marriage. 'Therefore, the court found that the accused failed to convince the court that it was in the interest of justice to release him on bail. The case was postponed to 28 August 2025 for a regional court decision.' Abuse According to Mahanjana, the alleged abuse began in March 2022 while the man's daughter, who was 15 years old at the time, lived with her parents and younger brother in Tsakani. 'On the day of the first incident, the mother was at church, leaving the victim with her father and brother. It is alleged that the father called his daughter into the house while playing outside and sent her brother to buy chips from the shops. 'When the teen got inside the house, she found the father in her room, and she went to inquire why he called her. The father allegedly locked the door behind her, undressed both himself and the victim, raped her, and left her in her room,' Mahanjana said. ALSO READ: Man masquerading as pastor sentenced to life for raping at least 10 children in KZN Abortion When the mother returned, she found her daughter crying on her bed and asked what had happened. 'The victim disclosed what had happened. However, the mother did not believe her. After the first incident, it is alleged that a second incident happened; however, the mother still did not believe the victim until she stopped telling her about the rape incidents that continued to happen when the mother was not around,' Mahanjana said. 'A while later, the victim fell ill, and the mother took her to Pholosong hospital, where it was confirmed that the child was pregnant. On an unspecified date, the mother brought a mixture of concoction and told the child to drink in an attempt to abort her baby, which failed.' Arrest Mahanjana said the parents then moved their daughter to Limpopo to live with her paternal grandmother, where she gave birth to a boy in December 2022. 'After turning 18, the daughter opened a case in Limpopo on 07 July 2025, resulting in the father's arrest on 19 July 2025,' Mahanjana said. ALSO READ: Online dating site serial rapist and murderer arrested in Limpopo .
