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Port Elizabeth - A Motherwell police officer, accused of raping a woman who has Down syndrome, was released on bail on Wednesday.
The 40-year-old sergeant, who cannot be named until he has pleaded, appeared briefly in the Motherwell Magistrate's Court after being arrested for the January 3 rape of a 23-year-old woman.
The man was arrested on January 8 and the case has been handed over to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for investigation.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Tsepo Ndwalaza said, according to the docket, the police officer had allegedly given two women a lift from a local shebeen to a petrol station so that they could buy electricity.
"While on their way, they met [a] woman walking alongside the road," he said.
Ndwalaza said the woman, who has Down syndrome, knew one of the female occupants and joined them in the car, sitting in the front of the vehicle, next to the police officer.
She remained in the vehicle when the women went to buy electricity.
"The two were allegedly seen kissing and fondling in the car," he said.
Ndwalaza added that the officer took the two women back to the shebeen and left with the Down syndrome woman.
He said one of the women became suspicious and went to the officer's house, where she found him having sex with the Down syndrome woman.
According to the docket, the officer's wife arrived at the house and started attacking the Down syndrome woman for having an affair with her husband. She was not aware that the woman was mentally disabled.
Further investigation
Prosecutor Thundezwa Ngonyama told the court that the two women would be State witnesses.
Ngonyama added that the State would not oppose bail and recommended that bail be set at R2 000.
Defence attorney Zanele Matawane submitted an affidavit to the court in which her client indicated that he intended pleading not guilty and that he did not intend to argue the merits of his defence at this stage.
Following the submissions, Magistrate Mureedah Louis granted the officer bail of R2 000, on condition that he did not interact with the witnesses in the case or interfere with the investigation.
The matter was postponed to March 29 for further investigation.
