Two men accused of raping a 12-year-old girl after plying her with drinks denied guilt in the Grahamstown High Court on Monday.
Appearing before Judge Clive Plasket were Moos Lawens (41) and Eric Fossie Ben (27), both from a farm near Cradock. The two are alleged to have raped the girl after getting her intoxicated at a drinking party on a farm near Cradock on February 16.
According to the state’s indictment, the girl went to visit her aunt’s house where the two accused and other adults were drinking.
The state alleges that the girl ”became intoxicated and went to sleep on one of the two beds in the bedroom”.
Lawens allegedly picked up the girl from the bed and handed her through a window to Ben, who is accused of pushing her to the ground and raping her.
The charge sheet notes that as the girl was crying, Ben placed his hand over her mouth, and when he had finished, Lawens took the girl back into the house.
The state alleged that Lawens later raped the girl on the bed he shared with her aunt. Her aunt is alleged to have caught Lawens in the act of raping her niece, and a confrontation ensued between them.
According to court documents, the matter was reported to the police five days later because of a lack of transport. A doctor examined the girl and found tears, bruising and swelling to her genitals.
The two men are charged under the doctrine of common purpose to commit rape of a girl under the age of 16.
The state will call eight witnesses, including the complainant, and if convicted, the two accused face possible life imprisonment.
The trial continues. — Sapa