'Rapist' remanded in custody
2008-06-25 16:04
Thabisile Khoza
Barberton - A man whose tongue is believed to have been bitten off when he allegedly raped a woman was remanded in custody when he appeared in the Barberton magistrate's court on Wednesday.
The 36-year-old man from Umjindini outside Barberton, Mpumalanga, was not asked to plead to charges of rape and was told to appear again on Friday, when he will apply for bail.
The suspect is accused of raping a 34-year-old woman after she left a night vigil at her neighbour's house on May 18.
The woman bit off part of her attacker's tongue when he tried to kiss her.
She was stabbed in the shoulder to force her to let him go.
The woman place the tongue in a plastic packet and took it to the Barberton police station.
The suspect was arrested at his house on May 31 when police received information that a man without a tongue was living there.
Police found that he was not only wanted for rape, but also for skipping bail for a housebreaking and robbery case that took place in 2006.
He will appear for the housebreaking and robbery cases on July 8.
- African Eye