‘Danger to society’

‘Danger to society’Child rape suspect again denied bail A child rape suspect has again been denied bail on several grounds, including that he is a danger to society. The 24-year-old man, who stands accused of raping and mutilating a nine-year-old girl, was again denied bail by the Katutura Magistrate’s Court this week.

Gewen Gawa-nab appeared in court on Tuesday for the alleged rape that occurred in October.

The matter was postponed to 12 March next year for his Legal Aid application and further police investigations.

He is in custody for rape and the intention to cause grievous bodily harm.

He appeared before Magistrate Atutala Shikalepo, who denied his request for bail.

According to Nampa, Gawa-nab previously appeared in connection with the matter on 5 December. The case was postponed for additional instructions from the Office of the Prosecutor-General (PG).

The court has already received nine instructions from the PG, including those regarding Gawa-nab’s other pending matters.

The court denied him bail because he has other pending matters of the same nature, is a danger to society and it will not be in the interest of justice to release him.

There is also a fear he will interfere with witnesses in his other pending cases, Shikalepo added.

Gawa-nab was arrested on 29 October after he allegedly raped the nine-year-old girl at Farm Satan Locht in the Khomas Region. It is alleged that Gawa-nab cut the girl’s genitals with a knife before raping her.

It was initially alleged by the police that the girl and three other children were left in Gawa-nab’s care.

However, the victim’s father gave a different version to Namibian Sun.

He said the children - three girls and a boy - were playing and walking toward the farm. According to him, Gawa-nab followed the children and attacked them. He said the other children managed to run away, but Gawa-nab pulled his daughter into the bushes and allegedly raped her.

The police said Gawa-nab apparently got hold of a knife and tried to rape the girl, but penetration could not take place. He then cut her genitals and raped her.

After fleeing into the mountains he was arrested inside a Havana shack following a manhunt.

Gawa-nab has a string of former rape and an attempted rape cases pending against him that date back to 2013.

He has also faced previous gender violence and assault charges, which were withdrawn against him due to incomplete investigations and missing dockets.

He has been charged with three cases in which he is facing counts of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

ELLANIE SMIT