Bail hearing of molestation and rape accused postponed

A PLANNED bail application by a second elderly man accused of raping and sexually molesting several young girls in Kenton-onSea was abandoned yesterday after the magistrate called in sick.

The man will now have to wait until Thursday after the only other available magistrate, Louis Muller, could not hear the application as he had refused bail on Friday to another elderly man who allegedly raped and sexually molested the same girls.

Muller yesterday told the grey-haired man in his 60s that he was effectively disqualified from hearing his bail application as he had turned down the other man’s attempt.

He ordered the man, who walked into the dock clutching a Bible in one hand, be held in custody until Thursday so the magistrate could recover from “bad flu”.

Large crowds of protesters who have stood outside court every time the men have appeared since they were arrested separately two weeks ago, vowed to be back to voice their opposition to him getting bail.

Although the men were arrested on the same day in the resort town for the alleged rape and sexual molestation of several of the same young girls from nearby Ekuphumleni, they are being charged separately.

A bail application on Friday by the 76-year-old man was turned down by Muller after he ruled that no extraordinary factors had been presented to the court for the man to be released on bail for such a serious offence.

The man is facing charges of allegedly raping two girls and sexually molesting two others.

During the bail application, he denied he was capable of rape saying he had erectile dysfunction.

He dismissed claims by a 10-year-old that she had been raped in his house between January and July this year when the girls came looking for food and money as “lies”.

He is due back in court on September 12.