A 53 -year old Man of Legotlhwana Village accused of sodomising his minor relative in January is yet to be set free from the charges even though the victim has absolved him of the crime..
Vaada Hange was suspected to be the man who allegedly dragged the minor child from her sleep to the nearby bushes where the act of sodomy was performed on her.
Court documents stated that a few days after the ordeal the girl started to experience pains around her anal area and went to the clinic where the nurse examined her and reported the matter to the police leading to Hange’s arrest.
Hange however denied having raped the child, citing that at the time of the said incident he was at home with his girlfriend.
A few months after the incident was reported to the police the child changed her original statement which implicated Hange and told the police that Hange was actually not the perpetrator.
In Hange’s brief appearance before Maun Magistrate court last week, the state Prosecutor Ambrosia Keipheditse prayed to be given the last indulgence before the matter can be struck out.
“I have received instructions that the consent to withdraw has been granted, however we seek the last indulgence as the substantive prosecutor wants to satisfy herself before the accused can be discharged from the matter as it is a very complex issue,” said Keipheditse.
The Defence attorney maintained that his client has been cleared by the victim and therefore deserved to be set free.
“The accused is not the person who has done whatever they say has been done to the complainant. He was charged in February and nothing has been done so far to advance the case. All we have been doing is postpone the matter,” said the defence attorney who went on to complain that the matter has been hanging on his client’s shoulders for months now.
“An innocent man was sent to prison, the prosecution are just delaying the withdrawal of this case,” argued defence.
The matter has been set for 28 November for status update.
