A warrant of the arrest has been issued for a Hermanus-based surf instructor facing four charges of rape and one of sexual assault after he failed to appear in court.
The local businessman, along with a co- accused who faces one charge of rape, was scheduled to appear in the Khayelitsha Regional Court on Friday for a pre-trial hearing.
The National Prosecuting Authority’s provincial spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, confirmed the case was postponed in absentia until 12 November after both accused failed to attend court.
The case has been dragging on since the surf instructor’s arrest on 6 June 2022, after an American woman staying in South Africa for a few months laid the first charge against him. Since then, four other women have also registered cases against him, and he was released on R1 000 bail.
“The attorney told the court that accused one could not be in court due to the taxi violence. This was not accepted as an excuse, and a warrant for his arrest was issued,” Ntabazalila said.
The lawyer for accused two advised the court that his client was in rehab. Although the court accepted the justification, it requested verification.
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