Ninow spends first Christmas behind bars

It has been two months since the man dubbed the ‘Dros Rapist’ was sentenced to life imprisonment for the rape of a seven-year-old child. Tomorrow would mark the first of many Christmas days he will spend at the Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria.

Nicholas Ninow, 21, blamed drug abuse for the events of September 22, 2018, where he followed the girl to the bathrooms of the Dros restaurant in Silverton and raped her. He, however, claimed he went to women’s toilets to use the drug methcathinone, commonly known as Cat.

During his trial at the High Court in Pretoria, Ninow pleaded guilty before sharing horrific details of what he did to the girl. In his plea explanation, read out by his lawyer Herman Alberts, he said the little girl pushed open the cubicle door while he was busy taking the drug.

Ninow’s explanation contradicted that of the little girl, who testified in a closed court.

“I was sitting on the pot, doing a number one when the accused entered.”

Prosecutor Dorah Ngobeni argued that the rape was premeditated since a waitress who worked on the day testified that Ninow changed tables to sit close to the restaurant’s play area.

Judge Papi Mosopa handed down the harsh maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Ninow was also sentenced to five years for possession of drugs and another five for defeating the ends of justice.

In a TV interview, Ninow’s mother, Chantal, admitted to giving drugs to her son in his early teenage years. She expressed guilt for not acting when she saw Ninow high on drugs before he went to the Dros.

“My older son [Ninow] is not a rapist, he made a mistake. He just made a mistake,” she said.

Ninow might not be able to beat his drug addiction, as he has admitted in court that he has used substances while awaiting trial in prison.

In April, The Citizen reported that Ninow had been hospitalised at Kalafong Hospital for an alleged drug overdose.

“When you are in that cell, there are drugs everywhere in prison. There is no rehabilitation in prison,” Ninow said.

– rorisangk@citizen.co.za

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