Video must prove rape

2003-10-09 09:50

Liela Magnus

Pretoria - A mother agreed to have a hidden video camera installed in her daughter's room after her "despondent" daughter claimed that her lieutenant-colonel father had indecently assaulted her.

The air force pilot, 40, applied for bail in the Pretoria magistrate's court. He is charged with rape, indecent assault and attempted rape.

The man's legal representative, Tokkie van Zyl, said his client denies raping his daughter, but was willing to admit, for the sake of the bail application, that the State had a prima facie case for the indecent assault charge.

A video of an alleged incident was handed in after magistrate Peet van Vuuren decided that it did not violate the man's right to privacy.

The alleged assault on the video is apparently sub judice because it will be presented as evidence later.

The man was released on R50 000 bail on similar charges last year.

These charges were dropped after his daughter, then 15, said in a statement that she had lied.

The court heard on Wednesday that her father apparently intimidated her into saying this.

In a statement about the latest allegations, she claims her father fondled her, kissed her and rubbed his penis against her.

Inspector Gerhard Benade, investigating officer, testified on Wednesday that a district surgeon found that vaginal penetration probably did take place.

The girl apparently told the doctor that the assaults had been taking place since she was 12 years old.

- Beeld