A man accused of raping and killing an eight-year-old Uniondale girl is already facing another rape charge.
|||Cape Town - A man accused of raping and killing an eight-year-old girl appeared in the Uniondale Magistrate's Court in the Southern Cape on Monday, the National Prosecuting Authority said.
Western Cape spokesman Eric Ntabazalila said the man was charged with kidnapping, raping, and killing Shafeeka Baartman.
He did not apply for bail and the matter was postponed to January 13 for further investigation.
Ntabazalila said the man was out on bail for another rape case at the time of his arrest.
The victim in that case initially wanted to withdraw the charges.
"The State was on the verge of withdrawing the charges today but after a discussion between the prosecutor and the victim, the victim has indicated that she wants to continue with the trial," he said.
"This means the accused will appear on two cases of rape, and also kidnapping and murder (on January 13)
Shafeeka Baartman was found with a scarf around her neck and her legs tied with clothing at a house on Friday night, Captain Bernadine Steyn said at the weekend.
Earlier in the day, the girl was sent by her mother to a friend's house to fetch money.
"On her way to the house (a) suspect approached her on foot and took her to his house... where he allegedly raped and murdered her," said Steyn.
The man was arrested on a farm outside Uniondale on Saturday. She said the preliminary autopsy results suggested that the cause of death could have been strangulation.
Ntabazalila said people picketed outside the court on Monday, protesting against rape and demanding the man not be granted bail.
The group handed a memorandum to prosecutor Gerda Marx, who was a case manager at a care centre in George.
In court, Marx said the accused had a police dog wound and received medical help.
Sapa