Dros rape victim won’t have to relive trauma in court – NPA

Family members and the entire society can rest assured that the purpose of calling for her testimony is not to place the complainant in a position where she has to relive the traumatic event, the NPA said in a statement.

“As the NPA, we already indicated that we reject the plea explanation by Ninow as it consisted of inconsistencies when compared to the version of the complainant during consultation with the prosecutor. Therefore, the sole purpose of calling the child victim to testify is to place before court, evidence that seeks to rebutt Ninow’s version regarding the sequence or chronological order of events leading to the gruesome violation of the her innocence.

“We are mindful of the fact that Ninow tendered a guilty plea in the count of rape and since this is not in dispute, there is therefore no need to place such evidence before court.”

The child victim will testify briefly via CCTV with the support of an intermediary and two court preparation officers have been allocated to the matter, the statement read.

“Senior State Advocate Dorah Ngobeni is expected to close the state case tomorrow and in her submissions to the trial court in aggravation for sentence, she will argue for the imposition of life imprisonment, in line with the Minimum Sentences Act 105 of 1997.

“The NPA strives to provide a victim-centric service and prosecutors remain committed to protecting victims of these heinous crimes,” the statement concluded.

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