A 24-year-old man from Ndlalambi has been arrested for allegedly raping a 22-year-old woman after she lost consciousness.
Sibonelo Sibongakonkhe Ndlovu appeared before Magistrate Nkosingiphile Maseko, facing a charge of contravening Section 3(3)(a) of the Sexual Offences and Domestic Violence Act of 2018.
According to the allegations, the accused met the complainant at a bar on Tuesday this week and later took her to his home.
Upon arrival, he allegedly discovered that his girlfriend was present in the house and decided to take the young woman to a friend’s residence instead.
The complainant is said to have refused and insisted on being taken back to her home. The accused allegedly declined and attempted to force her to comply, leading to a physical altercation.
During the scuffle, the woman was allegedly struck on the head with a stone, causing her to lose consciousness.
It is further alleged that the accused then took advantage of her condition and had unlawful sexual intercourse with her without using any form of protection.
ALSO READ | Standard Bank employee reported for E500 000 theft
Court documents indicate that there were conflicting accounts regarding the nature of the relationship between the two.
It was reported that they had been in a romantic relationship; however, the accused denied this, claiming instead that he had requested sexual favours and that there was an agreement he would pay her afterwards.
The Crown applied for the accused to be remanded in custody until January 7, pending the setting of a trial date.
He was also advised to approach the High Court should he wish to apply for bail.
According to the charge sheet, the offence is alleged to have been committed under aggravating circumstances, including the infliction of physical injury and long-term psychological trauma on the complainant.
The prosecution further noted that the failure to use protection exposed the young woman to the risk of contracting sexually transmitted infections.
