Rape suspect 'bared all' on train

MAGGI BARNARD THE Regional Court at Swakopmund heard yesterday that the former waiter on the Desert Express luxury tourist train, who is charged with raping a Japanese tourist, was seen completely naked on the night of the incident.

Trevor Pieterse (23), who worked for the Sodexho catering company

on the train, was arrested at Swakopmund on August 23 2003.

The second of five witnesses called by the State yesterday and a

colleague of Pieterse at the time of the incident, Talla Moongo,

testified he saw the accused enter the male staff compartment in a

naked state at 04h30.

 

Four of them shared a compartment.

 

"I asked him where he had come from and he said 'from the

bathroom'."

 

Moongo said he told Pieterse he could not walk around naked, as

he could encounter female staff, who slept next door, or clients

wanting to go for a smoke.

 

The witness said Pieterse did not reply.

 

Moongo asked an assistant manager, who also shared the

compartment, whether he had seen Pieterse entering in a naked

state, and that he should talk to him about it.

 

During the previous hearing of the case in December, the victim

was flown from Japan to testify.

 

She was on the train with her husband and two children, and

shared a compartment with her daughter.

 

She said Pieterse came in early in the evening to fix a light

bulb.

 

She woke up during the night when he came in again, dressed only

in pyjama shorts with a duvet around his shoulders.

 

He allegedly started raping her and she fought back, scratching

him and biting his hand.

 

She said her daughter was woken by the struggle and she started

crying hysterically.

 

Pieterse left with his duvet, leaving his shorts behind.

 

She went to her husband's compartment.

 

They waited until early morning and informed the manager on

board.

 

Moongo and three more staff members working on board the train

at the time testified yesterday that the Japanese husband asked the

manager to line up the male staff, as his wife wanted to identify

the culprit.

 

This was done in the bistro section of the train, and the victim

pointed at Pieterse.

 

Julia Tjeriko, who still works on the Desert Express, testified

that the victim pointed out the accused without hesitation.

 

Moongo said the accused reacted furiously when the victim

pointed at him.

 

Pieterse said he would sue her and that she did not know

him.

 

The victim's husband then took out the pair of shorts left

behind in the compartment and asked the accused if they belonged to

him.

 

Moongo said Pieterse replied he had a similar pair, but they

were dirty and he had left them at home.

 

"You can ask my girlfriend," Pieterse replied.

 

Tjeriko said two of the male staff members recognised the shorts

as belonging to Pieterse.

 

Martin Ndamakele, an assistant manager at the time, said he

recognised the shorts, as Pieterse had a similar pair.

 

"Pieterse told me he had left his shorts at home."

 

Neil Mazenga, a former Policeman who was the first officer

called to the train when it arrived at the Swakopmund station,

testified that the manager told him all compartment doors were

locked at night.

 

"He said it was impossible for anyone to enter the compartments

from the outside, except with a master key, which was kept in the

staff compartment and only accessible to them."

 

He accompanied the investigating officer, Sergeant Giovanni

Boffelli, to the compartments of the victim and the accused, where

they found bloodstains on the bedding of both persons.

 

The officer also testified that he noticed fresh scratch marks

on the accused's face and neck, as well as a wound on his

thumb.

 

"It looked like a bite mark."

 

Both Tjeriko and the former Police officer testified there was

an Irish woman on board who said the accused tried to enter her

room as well.

 

Mazenga said she told him she managed to force the accused out

of her room.

 

Tjeriko said the Irish woman said she was awake when he came to

her compartment.

 

When she asked him what he was doing, he said he was lost and

looking for his room.

 

The woman said she saw him wearing pyjama shorts with a duvet

wrapped around his bare chest.

 

Defence council Titus Mbaeva did not cross-examine any of the

witnesses for very long.

 

He mostly hammered on statements by some witnesses that the

Japanese woman's husband allegedly said that "someone tried to rape

his wife".

 

Ryno Vries, the on-board manager at the time of the incident,

testified that the husband allegedly said: "My wife was almost

raped."

 

Prosecutor Tait asked Magistrate Gert Retief whether she could

submit the reports of the two doctors who examined the victim and

accused as prima facie evidence, as both doctors had since left the

country.

 

The defence did not object and the reports were submitted.

 

Tait then asked for a postponement of the case as her last

witness, Sergeant Boffelli was not able to be at court

yesterday.

 

The case will continue on June 9 for the last State witness and

the defence case.

 

Magistrate Retief told Mbaeva he should prepare his client,

should he wish to testify then.

 

Pieterse remains in custody.

 

The second of five witnesses called by the State yesterday and a

colleague of Pieterse at the time of the incident, Talla Moongo,

testified he saw the accused enter the male staff compartment in a

naked state at 04h30.Four of them shared a compartment."I asked him

where he had come from and he said 'from the bathroom'."Moongo said

he told Pieterse he could not walk around naked, as he could

encounter female staff, who slept next door, or clients wanting to

go for a smoke.The witness said Pieterse did not reply.Moongo asked

an assistant manager, who also shared the compartment, whether he

had seen Pieterse entering in a naked state, and that he should

talk to him about it.During the previous hearing of the case in

December, the victim was flown from Japan to testify.She was on the

train with her husband and two children, and shared a compartment

with her daughter.She said Pieterse came in early in the evening to

fix a light bulb.She woke up during the night when he came in

again, dressed only in pyjama shorts with a duvet around his

shoulders.He allegedly started raping her and she fought back,

scratching him and biting his hand.She said her daughter was woken

by the struggle and she started crying hysterically.Pieterse left

with his duvet, leaving his shorts behind.She went to her husband's

compartment.They waited until early morning and informed the

manager on board.Moongo and three more staff members working on

board the train at the time testified yesterday that the Japanese

husband asked the manager to line up the male staff, as his wife

wanted to identify the culprit.This was done in the bistro section

of the train, and the victim pointed at Pieterse.Julia Tjeriko, who

still works on the Desert Express, testified that the victim

pointed out the accused without hesitation.Moongo said the accused

reacted furiously when the victim pointed at him.Pieterse said he

would sue her and that she did not know him.The victim's husband

then took out the pair of shorts left behind in the compartment and

asked the accused if they belonged to him.Moongo said Pieterse

replied he had a similar pair, but they were dirty and he had left

them at home."You can ask my girlfriend," Pieterse replied.Tjeriko

said two of the male staff members recognised the shorts as

belonging to Pieterse.Martin Ndamakele, an assistant manager at the

time, said he recognised the shorts, as Pieterse had a similar

pair."Pieterse told me he had left his shorts at home."Neil

Mazenga, a former Policeman who was the first officer called to the

train when it arrived at the Swakopmund station, testified that the

manager told him all compartment doors were locked at night."He

said it was impossible for anyone to enter the compartments from

the outside, except with a master key, which was kept in the staff

compartment and only accessible to them."He accompanied the

investigating officer, Sergeant Giovanni Boffelli, to the

compartments of the victim and the accused, where they found

bloodstains on the bedding of both persons.The officer also

testified that he noticed fresh scratch marks on the accused's face

and neck, as well as a wound on his thumb."It looked like a bite

mark."Both Tjeriko and the former Police officer testified there

was an Irish woman on board who said the accused tried to enter her

room as well.Mazenga said she told him she managed to force the

accused out of her room.Tjeriko said the Irish woman said she was

awake when he came to her compartment.When she asked him what he

was doing, he said he was lost and looking for his room.The woman

said she saw him wearing pyjama shorts with a duvet wrapped around

his bare chest.Defence council Titus Mbaeva did not cross-examine

any of the witnesses for very long.He mostly hammered on statements

by some witnesses that the Japanese woman's husband allegedly said

that "someone tried to rape his wife".Ryno Vries, the on-board

manager at the time of the incident, testified that the husband

allegedly said: "My wife was almost raped."Prosecutor Tait asked

Magistrate Gert Retief whether she could submit the reports of the

two doctors who examined the victim and accused as prima facie

evidence, as both doctors had since left the country.The defence

did not object and the reports were submitted.Tait then asked for a

postponement of the case as her last witness, Sergeant Boffelli was

not able to be at court yesterday.The case will continue on June 9

for the last State witness and the defence case.Magistrate Retief

told Mbaeva he should prepare his client, should he wish to testify

then.Pieterse remains in custody.

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