Eight-year-old victim of Dros rape to testify against Nicholas Ninow

On Wednesday, the victim of the Dros rape, who is now eight years old, will give her version of events in the trial of self-confessed child rapist Nicholas Ninow.

The state revealed this as proceedings on the second day of the trial drew to a close. Another witness will also be heard on Wednesday, it was confirmed.

Twenty-two-year-old Ninow pleaded guilty to the four counts against him in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Monday.

Ninow has been charged with rape, assault, kidnapping, defeating the ends of justice and possession of an illegal substance.

He reportedly pleaded guilty to all counts, with the exception of the assault charge. A kidnapping charge against him was withdrawn.

READ MORE: Dros rapist Nicholas Ninow pleads guilty to rape

In his plea explanation, read out by his legal aid attorney Herman Alberts on Monday, Ninow said he had gone to the women’s bathroom to do the drug CAT, hoping that he would not get caught.

He then lowered his pants to create the impression that he was urinating while snorting more of the drug that he was caught with when he was arrested on September 22, 2018, the same day when the rape occurred.

“While I was busy taking the CAT, the complainant pushed open the door,” Ninow said in the plea explanation.

“The complainant indicated that she wanted to urinate, and I got off the toilet, pulled her pants down and put her on the toilet.

“In that moment, I acted impulsively, and took my penis and forced it into the complainant’s mouth. Thereafter, I penetrated the complainant’s vagina with my finger.”

Ninow said he quickly realised what he was doing was wrong and stopped.

On Monday, a witness who said he had met Ninow on the day of the rape, and was bought beer and tequila by him, testified that he found Ninow naked and covered in blood following the incident, at which point he called the police.

According to this witness, Johan Fourie, Ninow offered drugs to the manager of the restaurant before raping his then seven-year-old victim.

On Tuesday morning, a childminder who was looking after the children at the Dros in Silverton, Pretoria, on the day Ninow raped his victim took the stand, breaking down in tears as she expressed her guilt over the incident.

The witness, who chose to remain anonymous, explained that she left her job at the Dros franchise after the victim’s mother expressed her disappointment and made her feel like a failure, after which she couldn’t cope with the job.

READ MORE: Ninow trial adjourns as Dros child-sitter present on day of rape breaks down in tears

She told the court that the words of the victim’s mother towards her have haunted her since the incident took place.

“She told me that she trusted me with her child and it felt like she placed all her trust in me,” she said.

“I was no longer coping, and when I would go to the toilet I would be scared. When I would register the child in the play area, I would doubt myself,” she continued.

The witness had led the victim to the toilets of the restaurant prior to the incident taking place. She told the court that she took her 15-minute lunch break after dropping the seven-year-old off at the toilets after the child asked to be taken there.

The trial continues.

(Compiled by Daniel Friedman)

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