A father accused of raping and sodomising his 15-year-old daughter is applying for bail.
The 49-year-old man, who cannot be named in order to protect the victim’s identity, made a brief appearance at the Mitchells Plain Magistrates’ Court yesterday where he is facing a charge of rape.
The man, who is a suspected gangster, was arrested in January after being on the run from police.
He is expected to supply the court with a new address before he can be considered for release.
Prosecutors are set to prove the man allegedly raped and sodomised his teenage daughter at his home in Mitchells Plain in June last year.
The incident was only reported to police in October.
The frightened girl, who had been living with her aunt at the time, told family members only months after the attack.
Yesterday the case was quickly postponed to 23 May for the man to provide the court with an alternative address.
It is believed the suspect gave his daughter’s three male friends, aged nine, an okka pyp to smoke outside his home while carrying out the alleged sex attack.
This week her 40-year-old mother joined in anti-violence protests held by the Mitchells Plain Crisis Forum and told community members of the alleged rape for the first time.
Joanie Fredericks, the co-ordinator of the forum, called on people to support the family.
“This mother’s child has died, because when you rape, you are never the same again, you take something away from that family,” she said.
“We are calling on the community to support this mother whose daughter was allegedly raped by her own father.”
After the rape attack, the mother says the child wrote letters to the court warning that if her dad is freed, she would commit suicide.
An excerpt of the letter reads: “I will take my own life just to forget what happened. I have been thinking about his face for a while now and I am ready to do it.”
In graphic detail, the child says her father allegedly placed his hand in front of her mouth to muffle her screams.
She describes in horror how he made her take her panties off and how she cried during the alleged attack.
The mother says she wants him to rot in jail and is tired of the case dragging at court.
“When I confronted him, he said she is lying,” she says.
“This week the court asks him for a new address, but we do not want him to come out of jail.
“We want him to stay in jail. How can a father do this to his own child?!”
The child is currently receiving counselling.
Captain FC van Wyk confirmed the rape case: “The complainant had alleged that her father had touched her and raped her.
“The accused appeared in court.”