No bail ahead of rape, kidnap trial

A youth who dodged police for two years has been denied bail ahead of his trial on charges of a three-day kidnap and rape spree.

Awonke Sofeya, 21, is accused of repeatedly raping his ex-girlfriend at knife-point over three days in a Duncan Village shack in 2017. He was arrested on January 8.

Investigating officer Gcobani Tyafu opposed bail in the East London magistrate’s court on Monday, saying Sofeya was a flight risk.

“After raping the mother of his child, who was his ex-girlfriend and 20 years old at that time, the woman says she is scared of him because this was not the first time the accused had made threats against her. After he did this, he changed his place of residence from Duncan Village and we tried to trace him but with no success.”

He said Sofeya was picked up during a police investigation into a 2011 case in which Sofeya had been the victim of a shooting. Tyafu said they called Sofeya using a cellphone number belonging to his brother.

Sofeya, who took the call, had at first been suspicious, but when told the police were investigating the 2011 shooting, agreed to come to the police station the next day. When he did, he was arrested on the rape and kidnapping charges.

Tyafu said Sofeya held the victim hostage through a whole weekend and raped her four times.

She said that her ex-boyfriend accosted her on the way to a spaza shop one night.

“He grabbed her and threatened to stab her.”

He took her to his friend’s shack fearing that her family might come searching for her at his place.

“On the way the accused was poking the victim with the knife.”

At the shack he threatened to cut off her clothes with the knife if she did not undress herself.

The victim was only given home-made juice “for energy” and was told she was being punished for breaking up with Sofeya. “He said she would get no food so she could feel the same pain she had given him.”

On the third day, he said if she wanted to go home then she must have sexual intercourse and she agreed because she was scared and wanted to go home. “He raped her again and after that he proposed love back from the victim.

“She agreed because she was scared. The accused suggested she leave her cell phone to secure her return.

“She left the cell phone and that is how she broke loose from him,” Tyafu said.

Pleading for bail, in his affidavit read by Sofeya’s lawyer, NomaAfrika Wakashe, Sofeya said he had two minor children who depended on him financially. “Their mothers are unemployed. I support them when I do odd jobs in December. I am also looking after my mom who is sick.”

Magistrate Joel Cesar denied him bail, saying he was not only a flight risk but also posed a danger to his ex-girlfriend who, at the time of the rape, already had a protection order against him that was issued in 2016 when they broke up.