Date set for verdict in child rape trial of Gobabis farmer

GOBABIS district farmer Abraham Roux, who has admitted that he had a series of sexual encounters with homeless boys between 2000 and 2004, is set to receive the High Court’s verdict in his child-rape trial early next year.

Judge Kato van Niekerk on Friday set January 27 as the date when she will hand down her verdict. State advocate Ruth Herunga and defence counsel Louis du Pisani addressed the Judge on Friday.Roux (71) offered guilty pleas on seven of the eight charges when the trial started.Herunga accepted the plea on only three of the counts, and proceeded to lead evidence on the other counts.The guilty pleas that she accepted are on two counts setting out offences under the Combating of Rape Act of 2000.On each of these charges Roux admitted that he had sexual intercourse on various occasions with a boy under the age of 14.He admitted that with one of the boys, those incidents took place between 2000 and early April last year.With the other boy, the sexual encounters took place between 2003 and early April last year.He also pleaded guilty on a charge of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, for paying N$6 000 to each of five of the boys who laid criminal charges against him in an attempt to stop them from reporting him to the authorities.On four of the other counts against him, he offered guilty pleas on charges of having contravened the Immoral Practices Act of 1980 by having enticed four boys – three under the age of 16, and one under the age of 14 – to commit sexual acts with him.Roux testified before Judge Van Niekerk last week.He told the court that the encounters with the children began after they started pestering him for money during his occasional shopping trips to Gobabis.While asking him for money, they also suggested to him that he should drive with them to a spot outside the town, he said.It was there that the sexual acts took place.”I was always stopped on the street, I was molested, that’s why I gave them money so that they can go away,” he said.However, he also admitted that he suggested to the children that in return for giving them money, they should have sex with him.After that, the children started extorting more money from him in return for sex – and for four years, he obliged, the court heard.Under cross-examination from Herunga, Roux admitted that he had initiated the first sexual encounters with the children.Later on, when the children started demanding more money, he started asking them to perform more sexual acts with him in return, he stated.Asked Herunga at one stage: “So what you’re telling this court is that you told the kids that ‘if you want more money then you must have more sex with me’?” Roux: “Correct.”It was only after the Police arrested him that he came to realise that what had taken place between him and the boys was not altogether acceptable, the court heard.Herunga asked him: “Now, when did you realise that you were not doing the right thing? Did you know that from day one?” Roux: “No, I realised after I was kept in custody, after I was detained.”At another stage, Herunga asked: “Sir, why did you go for children? Why didn’t these sexual acts take place with adults?” Said Roux: “I do not have an answer for that, I do not know.”Roux remains free on bail of N$20 000.On the basis of his own plea Judge Van Niekerk has already found him guilty on two of the charges under the Combating of Rape Act and on the charge of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.She has set January 30 as the date when he will be sentenced on those counts and possibly others, if more guilty verdicts are handed down on January 27.State advocate Ruth Herunga and defence counsel Louis du Pisani addressed the Judge on Friday.Roux (71) offered guilty pleas on seven of the eight charges when the trial started.Herunga accepted the plea on only three of the counts, and proceeded to lead evidence on the other counts.The guilty pleas that she accepted are on two counts setting out offences under the Combating of Rape Act of 2000.On each of these charges Roux admitted that he had sexual intercourse on various occasions with a boy under the age of 14.He admitted that with one of the boys, those incidents took place between 2000 and early April last year.With the other boy, the sexual encounters took place between 2003 and early April last year.He also pleaded guilty on a charge of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, for paying N$6 000 to each of five of the boys who laid criminal charges against him in an attempt to stop them from reporting him to the authorities.On four of the other counts against him, he offered guilty pleas on charges of having contravened the Immoral Practices Act of 1980 by having enticed four boys – three under the age of 16, and one under the age of 14 – to commit sexual acts with him.Roux testified before Judge Van Niekerk last week.He told the court that the encounters with the children began after they started pestering him for money during his occasional shopping trips to Gobabis.While asking him for money, they also suggested to him that he should drive with them to a spot outside the town, he said.It was there that the sexual acts took place.”I was always stopped on the street, I was molested, that’s why I gave them money so that they can go away,” he said.However, he also admitted that he suggested to the children that in return for giving them money, they should have sex with him.After that, the children started extorting more money from him in return for sex – and for four years, he obliged, the court heard.Under cross-examination from Herunga, Roux admitted that he had initiated the first sexual encounters with the children.Later on, when the children started demanding more money, he started asking them to perform more sexual acts with him in return, he stated.Asked Herunga at one stage: “So what you’re telling this court is that you told the kids that ‘if you want more money then you must have more sex with me’?” Roux: “Correct.”It was only after the Police arrested him that he came to realise that what had taken place between him and the boys was not altogether acceptable, the court heard.Herunga asked him: “Now, when did you realise that you were not doing the right thing? Did you know that from day one?” Roux: “No, I realised after I was kept in custody, after I was detained.”At another stage, Herunga asked: “Sir, why did you go for children? Why didn’t these sexual acts take place with adults?” Said Roux: “I do not have an answer for that, I do not know.”Roux remains free on bail of N$20 000.On the basis of his own plea Judge Van Niekerk has already found him guilty on two of the charges under the Combating of Rape Act and on the charge of attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice.She has set January 30 as the date when he will be sentenced on those counts and possibly others, if more guilty verdicts are handed down on January 27.