Alleged rapist denies guilt

A 28-YEAR-OLD man who allegedly raped a 25-year-old severely intellectually challenged woman pleaded not guilty to rape and assault charges in the Port Elizabeth High Court yesterday. Nathan Fourie allegedly raped the woman, who has the intellectual capacity of a four-year-old child. After hearing the testimony of a clinical psychologist, Isabel Marais, Judge Jannie Eksteen ordered that the woman be exempted from testifying. Marais told the court that the woman suffered from post-traumatic disorder and fears being without her mother. In assessing her, Marais said she found that she was shy and confused. Although she could give an account of the incident, she was unable to relate events chronologically.