Govt deny prison rape cover-up

2001-08-12 15:46

Johannesburg - The Department of Correctional Services on Sunday denied trying to cover up an incident during which a female warder was raped, allegedly by a convict.

This followed media allegations that a "veil of secrecy" has been thrown over the rape and subsequent escape of the perpetrator.

Correctional Services' spokesperson, Russel Mamabolo confirmed that the incident had taken place, "sometime early this yearö.

"We're not trying to hide anything," he said.

He could, however, not explain why it had not been reported at the time it happened.

The alleged rapist who had been serving a six-year sentence for theft, was a monitor at the Standerton prison in Mpumalanga. He had already served most of his sentence and was allowed to do menial tasks, like cleaning offices. He was also allowed to move around on the prison grounds without supervision.

The convict allegedly overpowered the 24-year old warder in her office in a remote part of the prison grounds near the training centre. He tied her up and raped her before continuing to clean the rest of the offices.

Later in the afternoon he went back to her office and raped her again.

He then allegedly dressed himself in a warder's uniform and escaped on a bicycle.

He was arrested at the Standerton railway station, where he had fallen asleep on a bench.

Mamabolo said the warder has since been transferred to the provincial offices in Witbank and the convict was demoted and lost his privileges.

The warder was still receiving psychological treatment.

The man would appear in court on September 5.

- SAPA