Two psychiatrists who evaluated the mental condition of a man found guilty of committing a series of rapes and robberies at Gobabis will be required to testify on their findings in the High Court in Windhoek in May.
The psychiatrists will be subpoenaed to testify in the trial of Richard Haoseb (29) on 18 May, judge Dinnah Usiku said during an appearance by Haoseb in the High Court at Windhoek Correctional Facility yesterday.
Usiku found Haoseb guilty on 12 charges near the end of March last year.
The charges include five counts of rape, two counts of housebreaking and robbery, and four charges of robbery.
After Haoseb had been convicted, defence lawyer Eliaser Shiikwa informed the judge in May last year it had come to his attention, while he was preparing for a presentence hearing, that Haoseb was being treated for mental illness and had been diagnosed with schizophrenia.
According to entries in Haoseb’s health passport, he has reported that he heard voices and saw people holding guns and knives, and that he has been hearing voices since he was seven years old.
Usiku made an order that an enquiry should be done into Haoseb’s mental health history and a report provided to the court.
This was after Shiikwa asked her to order that Haoseb should undergo a period of psychiatric evaluation to establish if he had a mental illness or mental defect at the time the crimes he was convicted of were committed.
The state alleged that Haoseb broke into a house at Gobabis during night-time on 2 December 2015, threatened three women inside the house with a knife, and raped and robbed two of the women.
The state also alleged that he held a woman at knifepoint at Gobabis on 21 December 2017, robbed her of her cellphone and raped her. That incident happened during daytime.
Usiku convicted Haoseb on a charge of housebreaking and robbery, three counts of rape and three charges of robbery in connection with those two incidents.
The state further alleged that Haoseb again broke into a house at Gobabis on 22 December 2017, threatened a 17-year-old girl inside with a knife and robbed and raped her.
It was alleged as well that on the same night as that incident, Haoseb kidnapped a woman while threatening her with a knife and then raped her.
Usiku found Haoseb guilty on two counts of rape and charges of housebreaking and robbery, kidnapping, and robbery in connection with those two incidents.
Haoseb denied guilt on all of the charges that he faced.
Regarding the incident that took place on 2 December 2015, he claimed he had an agreement with the two complainants to pay them to have intercourse with them.
According to Haoseb, the complainants decided to lay charges against him after they demanded double the amount of N$250 he had agreed to pay them and he refused to pay the increased amount.
However, Usiku found that his version about that incident could not be reasonably possibly true, and concluded that Haoseb committed sexual acts with the complainants under coercive circumstances.
On the other alleged crimes, which Haoseb denied to have committed, Usiku found him guilty based on a witness’ positive identification of him at a police identification parade and similarities in the way the incidents in December 2017 took place.
Haoseb is being held in custody.
State advocate Palmer Kumalo is representing the prosecution.
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