Bishop Sinclair case nearing conclusion
The case of Bishop Lucas Peter Sinclair from Westenburg, was postponed to 4 October, when the lawyers’ final pleas will be heard by the court.
POLOKWANE – The case of Bishop Lucas Peter Sinclair from Westenburg, who was arrested in February 2016 on several counts of sexual assault and charges of public indecency, was heard again last Tuesday in the regional court in Polokwane and a final witness testified.
Read more: Bishop to appear in court for sexual assault
Following a series of alleged indecent acts, a number of women from Sinclairs’ church community came forward. Sinclair was charged with seven counts of assault: three sexual assaults, three indecency assaults and an attempted sexual assault, all of which he pleaded not guilty to.
Read more: Bishop Sinclair says he’s not guilty
He initially was arrested on four counts of sexual assault against women in his community but a fifth sexual assault charge was also laid against him following his arrest. The trial started on 3 March 2017. He was released on R5 000 bail.
The victims later spoke out in a documentary aired on television about their experiences. During the documentary, victims spoke of how he would allegedly prey on girls who were new to the community, particularly also girls who were in the dancing squad, or those working in the office during the church’s gap-year programme. He would do so, according to his victims, by winning their trust and then taking advantage of them. He was described as a kind and considerate man.
One of the victims said Sinclair would phone her in the early hours of the morning and at the time, she didn’t fully comprehend why. “He would ask me questions like if I was sleeping. I thought nothing of it at first because at that time of the morning, what else would I be doing?” she said.
The case was postponed to 4 October, when the lawyers’ final pleas will be heard by the court.
