Staff Reporter
A man believed to have sexually groomed his minor stepdaughter over a period of time before eventually raping her on two occasions is applying for bail at the Bloemfontein Magistrates Court.
The suspect, who is from Nigeria and cannot be named in order to protect the identity of the child, is also believed to be in the country illegally.
The mother of the victim is a South African national.
In a written response to questions from The Free Stater, Free State police spokesperson Colonel Thandi Mbambo said the offences date back four years when the accused started touching the child, then seven years old, indecently and made further advances over time.
“It is alleged that the sexual offences against the victim started in 2016,” said Mbambo.
“The victim was seven years old at that time and according to the statement the suspect touched her private parts.
“At the age of eight, he penetrated her with fingers. When she was nine years old he started having sexual intecourse with her.”
The mother and the suspect are said to have separated, but in a seemingly bizarre set-up, police say the victim used to visit the suspect alone and sleep over at his house in Lourierpark, Bloemfontein.
The last incident happened on September 23 in Germiston, Gauteng, which is the suspect’s other place of residence.
The suspect was then arrested the following day on September 24.
According to the police, the victim eventually refused to visit the suspect.
And when asked by the mother why she did not want to visit him anymore, she then narrated to her what happened over the years.
The matter was then reported to the police, leading to the suspect’s arrest.
The victim is currently living with her biological mother who is the complainant in the case.
The suspect is said to be a businessman selling perfumes and is a co-owner of a cellphone shop in Johannesburg.
The bail application is expected to continue on Thursday after being postponed on Tuesday when the accused made presentations for his release.