13th delay in child rape and murder case

THE case in which a 26-year-old security guard is accused of raping and murdering a three-and-a-half-year-old child in Windhoek early last year was postponed again – for the 13th time – in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court in Katutura on Friday.

Murder and rape suspect Lesley Kukame will now have to make a fourteenth court appearance on December 8, Kukame heard on Friday. More than a year and seven months after Kukame’s arrest, some investigations in his case have still not been finalised, the court was informed.It is understood that these investigations relate to the forensic analysis of possible evidence in the case that the National Forensic Science Institute of Namibia is expected to do.The results of the tests that the Institute has been asked to do are not yet available.The court was informed in December last year already, when Kukame made his ninth court appearance in the case, that laboratory results were still outstanding.The same situation was still continuing, it emerged on Friday.Kukame was arrested on February 10 last year.Earlier that day, the body of Manuela Sophia //Hoesemas was discovered at a disused cinema hall in Independence Avenue in Katutura in Windhoek, where Kukame had been posted as a security guard.//Hoesemas, who lived at a farm in the Omaheke Region, was visiting relatives in Windhoek when she disappeared on February 8 last year.Two days later, her body was found in a room at the decaying cinema building, which is next to the house of the relatives where she was staying at the time of her disappearance.The Police reported at the time that she was found with her jersey tied around her neck and her underwear stuffed into her mouth.It is alleged that she had been raped.Kukame allegedly failed lie detector tests that he underwent after the discovery of the child’s body at the premises that he was supposed to guard.It is claimed that shortly after his arrest he made a confession, and accompanied Police investigators to the crime scene to point out the scene to them.Kukame has at his own request already undergone a period of psychiatric observation, which was intended to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial and whether he could be held accountable for his alleged actions at the time of the child’s killing.A State psychiatrist concluded that he was fit to stand trial and could be held accountable for his alleged actions.Kukame has been in Police custody since his arrest, and he remains in that position.More than a year and seven months after Kukame’s arrest, some investigations in his case have still not been finalised, the court was informed.It is understood that these investigations relate to the forensic analysis of possible evidence in the case that the National Forensic Science Institute of Namibia is expected to do.The results of the tests that the Institute has been asked to do are not yet available.The court was informed in December last year already, when Kukame made his ninth court appearance in the case, that laboratory results were still outstanding.The same situation was still continuing, it emerged on Friday.Kukame was arrested on February 10 last year.Earlier that day, the body of Manuela Sophia //Hoesemas was discovered at a disused cinema hall in Independence Avenue in Katutura in Windhoek, where Kukame had been posted as a security guard.//Hoesemas, who lived at a farm in the Omaheke Region, was visiting relatives in Windhoek when she disappeared on February 8 last year.Two days later, her body was found in a room at the decaying cinema building, which is next to the house of the relatives where she was staying at the time of her disappearance.The Police reported at the time that she was found with her jersey tied around her neck and her underwear stuffed into her mouth.It is alleged that she had been raped.Kukame allegedly failed lie detector tests that he underwent after the discovery of the child’s body at the premises that he was supposed to guard.It is claimed that shortly after his arrest he made a confession, and accompanied Police investigators to the crime scene to point out the scene to them.Kukame has at his own request already undergone a period of psychiatric observation, which was intended to determine if he is mentally fit to stand trial and whether he could be held accountable for his alleged actions at the time of the child’s killing.A State psychiatrist concluded that he was fit to stand trial and could be held accountable for his alleged actions.Kukame has been in Police custody since his arrest, and he remains in that position.