Tirade from suspect after rape verdict

A YOUNG resident of Okahandja flew into a rage in the Windhoek Regional Court this week when he heard that he had been convicted on a child rape charge.

After hearing that he had been found guilty on a charge of rape and that he would be sentenced next week, Julius Isack van Wyk (23) had an outburst of anger and swearing in court on Wednesday.’You are f***ing me through the ears,’ Van Wyk shouted during the outburst, a court source reported yesterday. He also used the f-word in other permutations, and told all who would hear that he wanted to be sentenced immediately and not only on Tuesday next week.Van Wyk was accused of raping a six-year-old girl at Nau-Aib at Okahandja on July 12 last year. He denied the charge.The girl told Magistrate Cosmos Endjala during the trial that she was at home after returning from school when the door was pushed open and she saw Van Wyk enter.She knew Van Wyk, who lived near her parents’ house.The girl said Van Wyk pushed her onto a bed, took off her underwear and raped her.He threatened her that she should not tell anyone about the incident, saying that if she did not do as instructed he would rape her again, she said.When he pleaded to the charge Van Wyk said he had an alibi as a defence, as he was not at the scene of the incident when it took place.During his testimony in his own defence, though, he related that he had been near the house where the rape took place between 09h00 and 13h00 that day.The court also heard that the girl initially did not want to tell her parents what had happened when they noticed that she was bleeding from her private parts. After she had been given a beating she reported that Van Wyk had raped her.In his judgement Magistrate Endjala said in his opinion the truth had been told. He said the girl had given a clear and straightforward version of events and did not contradict herself.Van Wyk’s version, though, was rejected as false.Van Wyk has remained in custody over the past year.