Child-sex charge must be dropped – accused

THE family law advocate and acting judge accused of molesting a friend’s young daughter will be calling on the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to drop the case against him.

In February, the advocate handed himself over to the SAPS following an eight-month investigation.

The 45-year-old, who specialises in family law and has worked as an acting judge in the Labour Court, is well known in the legal fraternity.

He stands accused of sexually grooming the child between 2004 and 2010, and during the same period sexually molesting and raping her multiple times.

The advocate was charged with five counts – two of rape, two of sexual assault and one of grooming – in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court.

This week he appeared at the court during a brief session where it was revealed he intended to make representations to the DPP offices to have the case against him withdrawn.

His lawyer, Rod Montano, told the court the reason they had not yet done so was because the State had taken so long to disclose the case docket.

However, he said the docket had now been handed over, meaning that the representations could be made shortly. He asked the court to allow a two-month adjournment for a decision to be made.

Montano had by Wednesday not yet made the representations, but declined to speak further on the matter without permission from his client.

During his bail application in February, the accused submitted an affidavit vehemently denying the claims against him.

He said the parents of the now 19-year-old complainant had started to dislike him after a major disagreement. He said the mother had developed romantic feelings for him, and when he did not reciprocate, “animosity” began to develop.

It’s understood the State’s case will likely rely on the young woman’s testimony, as well as affidavits from her therapist who helped her articulate

Officer says girl had

a crush on her abuser

the alleged abuse. It was during the bail application that the investigating officer on the case, Captain Veronica Banks, testified in detail about the alleged abuse.

Banks told the court the complainant was just 5 when the advocate began the grooming process.

When he visited the parents in their Craighall Park entertainment room, he would allegedly make excuses to return to the main house, where the children had been sleeping.

On numerous occasions, he would allegedly visit the child’s room, starting by tickling her and telling her how beautiful she was.

Eventually the tickling turned into fondling and sexual penetration. Asked by prosecutor Richard Mashobane why the young woman had not come forward sooner, Banks said the child had developed a crush on her abuser. The case continues in August.