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Dog DNA analysis delays case of man accused of raping his domestic worker

Pretoria - The case against a 41-year-old man, who allegedly raped his domestic worker and forced her to perform sexual acts with his dogs, has been postponed.

The Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate's Court heard on Tuesday that the State was still awaiting DNA samples from the dogs which may or may not positively provide help prove that the victim was forced to perform sexual acts with the animals.

The accused's lawyer, Ehleketani Maluleke, told the court that she had been instructed to bring a bail application at the accused's next appearance, following testimony from a psychiatrist that he is fit to stand trial.

She would also apply to have the accused's dogs released to his parents.

READ: Gauteng man allegedly rapes his domestic worker, forces dog on her

State prosecutor Solly Leballo told the court that they would oppose the application for the dogs to be released until the samples were ready.

He added that the DNA samples for the victim and the accused had been completed and received.

Mentally unstable

During a previous court appearance, a psychiatrist who evaluated the accused for seven days, declared that he was mentally fit to stand trial.

On the back of the testimony, the court also dismissed an application by the defence to have the accused admitted to Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital in Pretoria for mental observation.

The accused's father previously testified that his son had always been mentally unstable.

"One moment he would be fine, the next he would be angry, swearing, shouting, fighting and breaking things."

He said this behaviour had started when his son was 9 years old.

"In mid-1993, he got so bad… he got angrier and more violent, that we took him to the district surgeon in Potchefstroom to have him observed because of his unacceptable behaviour.

"They sent him to Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital in Krugersdorp. He was there for two weeks, where they diagnosed him as mentally... [challenged]."

The father also testified that in 1999, his son had set himself alight and had sustained burn wounds over 33% of his body.

The accused has been charged with 10 counts, including five of rape and three counts of sexual assault, after he allegedly dragged and locked the victim in a room, where he raped her repeatedly.

The domestic worker was working in the house, where the accused lived with his parents in Raimar Park, Bronkhorstspruit, when she was allegedly accosted in October 2017.

The case has been postponed to March 19 for a formal bail application.

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