'We have no words'
The parents of the nine-year-old girl who was allegedly mutilated and raped by a habitual sex offender out on bail, say they have no words to describe how they felt about seeing the suspect in court.
Gewen Gawa-nab, who had apparently given different names and ages when he was arrested and set free on other rape and attempted rape cases, made his first appearance in connection with his latest rape case in the Katutura Magistrate's Court
yesterday.
Meanwhile, local human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe has described the dropping of some previous matters against Gawa-nab because of a missing docket and incomplete investigations as “a terrible state of affairs”.
According to Tjombe, it is fairly common that cases are postponed endlessly or are ultimately withdrawn because of missing dockets or the unavailability of witnesses.
“This is invariably because the Namibian police, who should properly investigate these matters and ensure that all the logistics are in place for a successful prosecution, do not do their job.”
Emotions ran high during Gawa-nab's court appearance, with the little girl's parents telling Namibian Sun she had been discharged from the Windhoek Central Hospital, where she had been treated after the suspect had allegedly cut her genitals and raped her on a farm last Friday.
“We are very sad about what happened to our daughter. She has been released from hospital and is at home. She is doing better,” said the girl's father.
“I do not have words to explain how it feels to see that man today. A person like that does not belong in the society. He should never get bail.”
A manhunt was launched for Gawa-nab after the attack on the farm Satan Locht in the Khomas Region.
He fled into the mountains but was arrested on Tuesday morning after a tip-off from the public.
His initial age was given as 20, but he is in fact 24 years old.
He sat stone-faced inside a packed courtroom that was filled with media and friends and family of the little girl.
Mom breaks down
As the court proceedings began, the victim's mother broke down and wept, and quickly exited. She could be heard crying outside the courtroom.
Gawa-nab did not blink, and stared straight ahead.
He complained to court officials when people inside the courtroom showed him the middle finger.
State prosecutor Idda Itembu strongly objected to the granting of bail.
She said Gawa-nab had been charged with the rape of a minor and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
Itembu said bail should be denied because of the seriousness of the matter.
Shockwaves
She also said it was not in the public interest that Gawa-nab be released, as the case had sent shockwaves through the nation.
She added that Gawa-nab had three or four similar cases against him and that showed that he was a repeat offender and did not show remorse.
Other grounds were that the investigation was at an early stage and that the family of the girl had been traumatised.
Gawa-nab indicated that he wanted to apply for legal aid.
Magistrate Johannes Shuuveni remanded Gawa-nab in custody and postponed the matter until 5 December for further investigation and legal aid.
Shuuveni said Gawa-nab had the right to formally apply for bail.
Different version
The girl's father gave Namibian Sun a different version of what had happened, compared to that of the police. The police had initially said the victim and another girl had been left in Gawa-nab's care.
The father said his daughter and three other children were playing and then walked to the farm. According to him Gawa-nab followed the children and attacked them. He said the other children managed to run away and it was then that the suspect allegedly pulled his daughter into the bushes and raped her.
Cops under-resourced
Tjombe said many good and competent police investigators were inundated with work and under-resourced.
“They do not have vehicles or if they do have the vehicles, they do not have fuel or are broken.”
According to him police officers do not have adequate photocopy and telephone facilities at their duty stations, and cannot make copies of important documents for State witnesses or contact the witnesses via telephone or transport them to court.
“These are all the factors that contribute to inadequate prosecutions.”
Tjombe said in the recent midterm budget announcement, the safety and security ministry, which includes not only the various police stations and officers stationed across the country, but also prisons, received about the same funding as the defence ministry.
Crime disaster
“We have an unmitigated disaster on crime in this country, but yet we will continue to underfund the police, thus setting them up for failure; and overfund non-priority areas such as the military.
“We should not be surprised if we have more cases such as the recent rape of the nine-year-old girl and the killing of Cheryl Avihe,” Tjombe said.
Avihe's dismembered body was discovered in September and no suspects have been arrested.
ELLANIE SMIT
Gewen Gawa-nab, who had apparently given different names and ages when he was arrested and set free on other rape and attempted rape cases, made his first appearance in connection with his latest rape case in the Katutura Magistrate's Court
yesterday.
Meanwhile, local human rights lawyer Norman Tjombe has described the dropping of some previous matters against Gawa-nab because of a missing docket and incomplete investigations as “a terrible state of affairs”.
According to Tjombe, it is fairly common that cases are postponed endlessly or are ultimately withdrawn because of missing dockets or the unavailability of witnesses.
“This is invariably because the Namibian police, who should properly investigate these matters and ensure that all the logistics are in place for a successful prosecution, do not do their job.”
Emotions ran high during Gawa-nab's court appearance, with the little girl's parents telling Namibian Sun she had been discharged from the Windhoek Central Hospital, where she had been treated after the suspect had allegedly cut her genitals and raped her on a farm last Friday.
“We are very sad about what happened to our daughter. She has been released from hospital and is at home. She is doing better,” said the girl's father.
“I do not have words to explain how it feels to see that man today. A person like that does not belong in the society. He should never get bail.”
A manhunt was launched for Gawa-nab after the attack on the farm Satan Locht in the Khomas Region.
He fled into the mountains but was arrested on Tuesday morning after a tip-off from the public.
His initial age was given as 20, but he is in fact 24 years old.
He sat stone-faced inside a packed courtroom that was filled with media and friends and family of the little girl.
Mom breaks down
As the court proceedings began, the victim's mother broke down and wept, and quickly exited. She could be heard crying outside the courtroom.
Gawa-nab did not blink, and stared straight ahead.
He complained to court officials when people inside the courtroom showed him the middle finger.
State prosecutor Idda Itembu strongly objected to the granting of bail.
She said Gawa-nab had been charged with the rape of a minor and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm
Itembu said bail should be denied because of the seriousness of the matter.
Shockwaves
She also said it was not in the public interest that Gawa-nab be released, as the case had sent shockwaves through the nation.
She added that Gawa-nab had three or four similar cases against him and that showed that he was a repeat offender and did not show remorse.
Other grounds were that the investigation was at an early stage and that the family of the girl had been traumatised.
Gawa-nab indicated that he wanted to apply for legal aid.
Magistrate Johannes Shuuveni remanded Gawa-nab in custody and postponed the matter until 5 December for further investigation and legal aid.
Shuuveni said Gawa-nab had the right to formally apply for bail.
Different version
The girl's father gave Namibian Sun a different version of what had happened, compared to that of the police. The police had initially said the victim and another girl had been left in Gawa-nab's care.
The father said his daughter and three other children were playing and then walked to the farm. According to him Gawa-nab followed the children and attacked them. He said the other children managed to run away and it was then that the suspect allegedly pulled his daughter into the bushes and raped her.
Cops under-resourced
Tjombe said many good and competent police investigators were inundated with work and under-resourced.
“They do not have vehicles or if they do have the vehicles, they do not have fuel or are broken.”
According to him police officers do not have adequate photocopy and telephone facilities at their duty stations, and cannot make copies of important documents for State witnesses or contact the witnesses via telephone or transport them to court.
“These are all the factors that contribute to inadequate prosecutions.”
Tjombe said in the recent midterm budget announcement, the safety and security ministry, which includes not only the various police stations and officers stationed across the country, but also prisons, received about the same funding as the defence ministry.
Crime disaster
“We have an unmitigated disaster on crime in this country, but yet we will continue to underfund the police, thus setting them up for failure; and overfund non-priority areas such as the military.
“We should not be surprised if we have more cases such as the recent rape of the nine-year-old girl and the killing of Cheryl Avihe,” Tjombe said.
Avihe's dismembered body was discovered in September and no suspects have been arrested.
ELLANIE SMIT
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