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Regional court control prosecutor, Vicky Rossouw, appeared in the Humansdorp Magistrates' Court on November 7, for allegedly failing to report sexual violation of a child in a rape and incest case where a 17-year-old girl from the Jeffreys Bay region was allegedly raped and sexually groomed by her father and half-brother.
According to National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Luxolo Tyali, Rossouw is being charged with contravention of Section 54(1)(a) of the Sexual offences Act, 32 of 2007, which provides that a person who knows that a sexual offence has been committed against a child, must report the alleged offence to the police.
“The state is alleging that she had knowledge that an offence of rape, incest and sexual assault was committed against a child, but she failed to immediately report it to the police,” said Tyali.
As previously reported by the Kouga Express, the father, mother and half-brother were arrested in September this year after the teenage girl who is the alleged victim of rape and sexual grooming opened a case against the two at Jeffreys Bay Police Station in August.
The three accused briefly appeared in the Humansdorp Magistrate's Court on October 19, where the case was postponed to January 16, 2023, for further investigation.
JBay rape, incest case postponed to January 2023
Tyali said Rossouw was released on warning and the matter was postponed for further investigations to November 28.
He further said the NPA views this case in a very serious light and has commenced internal labour relations processes against the prosecutor.
“The enrollment of this case against one of our own is a clear indication that if there is enough evidence of a commission of a crime against anyone, the NPA will prosecute without fear, favour or prejudice,” said Tyali.
Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli, said on Monday, November 7 at around 11:00, members from Humansdorp FCS arrested Rossouw and moments later she briefly appeared in court, and was released on warning.
“The circumstances surrounding the incident are forming part of the investigation,” said Nkohli.
