Missing police constable Frances Rasuge laid and withdrew rape charges against murder accused William Nkuna three months before she disappeared, the Mmbatho Circuit Court heard on Tuesday.
Rasuge laid the rape charge at the Themba police station on May 10, 2004, Inspector Hendrik Masilo said at Nkuna’s murder trial in Ga-Rankuwa.
She subsequently filed a withdrawal statement on May 24 and the charges were withdrawn three days later.
”I have brought this matter forward to try and prove that a turbulent relationship existed between [Rasuge and Nkuna],” said Johannes Smit for the state.
”Whether she was raped or not is not for this court to decide.”
Rasuge’s sister Nini (22) earlier testified about accompanying Rasuge to a police training exercise in Pretoria to which Nkuna had driven her.
Nini said she and her other sister Wilhelmina had accompanied Rasuge on the drive to the city, as they feared for her safety following unspecified ”incidents” which occurred between Rasuge and Nkuna earlier in 2004.
Nini said she was unhappy that Rasuge was still communicating with Nkuna while dating her new boyfriend, Abner Ramasodi.
On Monday the court heard that blood stains found in Nkuna’s Mazda Etude were a 99% match to her parents’ DNA.
On Tuesday Nkuna’s defence was seeking to create doubt that the blood was the missing policewoman’s by postulating other ways the blood may have ended up in the vehicle.
Rasuge was last seen alive on August 27 in 2004 in the company of Nkuna at a hair salon in Themba.
Although her body has not been found, the authorities presume her to be dead.
Twenty witnesses, including family members, are expected to give evidence in the trial, scheduled to end on Friday. – Sapa