Trainee doctor’s bail hearing postponed again
Atrainee doctor who is accused of raping an 18-yearold male patient at the Katutura Intermediate State Hospital last month will be spending more nights in police custody following the postponement of his formal bail hearing.
The 26-year-old Dennis Noa’s bail hearing was scheduled to take place on Friday in the Katutura Magistrate’s Court before magistrate Namwenyo Shikalepo. This is the second delay in the matter. During court proceedings, State prosecutor Bernadine Bertolini informed the court investigations into Noa’s case are yet to be finalised. According to her, laboratory results and various witness statements are still outstanding.
“The opposition of bail by the State in the matter still stands. The defence counsel and the State are in agreement for the matter to be postponed to 22 July for further police investigations and 28 May for the formal bail hearing,” said Bertolini.
Thus, the court postponed the case to 22 July for police investigations and 28 May for a formal bail hearing, remanding Noa in police custody at the Seeis holding cells.
Noa is facing a charge of rape for allegedly sodomising an 18-year-old male patient on 10 April.
He has been in police custody since his arrest on 10 April. Court documents indicate that Noa allegedly sodomised the patient who reportedly suffered head trauma and was in an uncommunicative state.
As such, he is rendered incapable of understanding the nature of the sexual act or communicating unwillingness to take part in the act.
According to police reports at the time, the suspect disappeared with the motor vehicle accident patient, who was scheduled for a physiotherapy appointment. Upon reappearing, other staff members discovered an unused condom, which prompted them to investigate, and a medical check-up uncovered that forceful anal penetration had occurred.
Staff members alerted the police and a case was opened. Local lawyer Thabang Phatela is on record as Noa’s lawyer.