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Gauteng man accused of raping domestic worker denied bail

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A 45 year-old Pretoria East man accused of raping a domestic worker and forcing her to perform sexual acts on his dogs has been denied bail by the Bronkhorspruit Magistrate’s Court.

The court found that it would not be in the interest of justice for the accused Willem Kroukamp to be released on bail. The court says it also considered the community outrage over the matter. The 45 year-old accused is facing 10 charges including rape, kidnapping, sexual assault and malicious damage to property.

He has been in custody since last October. Kroukamp’s lawyer argued that he was not a flight risk as he does not possess travel documents. He added that he would be willing to move to Phalaborwa to avoid community outrage if bail was granted.

However, the magistrate was not convinced.  Magistrate David Shikwambana says the defence failed to provide a solid case that would warrant the release of the accused on bail.

The weather did not dampen the community’s spirit, they came in numbers to protest against the accused being granted bail. They even carried placards inside court. “We are happy with the magistrate’s decision; this man must rot in jail,” says one of the community members.

The defence was not pleased with the presence of the community in court saying the demonstration was politically motivated. The matter will be heard next month.

 

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