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Evidence links man to girl’s rape

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The court further heard that the forensic evidence was not the only evidence linking Ndlovu to the crime

A POSITIVE picture identification and forensic DNA analysis has positively linked a Galeshewe man to the rape of a nine-year-old girl.

This was revealed in the Northern Cape High Court yesterday, after DNA samples taken from the child and the accused, Edgar Ndlovu, were examined and compared.

Ndlovu, 45, was arrested and charged with rape on April 25, 2019.

A forensic and biology expert, Rebecca Francis-Pope, told the court yesterday that swabs taken from the victim were compared against a reference sample from Ndlovu.

“On June 10, 2019 I received a sexual assault kit taken from the victim. I received swabs taken from the victim’s private parts as well as a reference sample taken from the suspect. I then analysed the kit and compared it with the reference sample. The DNA results of the swabs, taken from the victim matched that of the reference sample,” said Francis-Pope.

The court further heard that the forensic evidence was not the only evidence linking Ndlovu to the crime.

A sergeant in the Galeshewe Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Investigations (FCS) unit, Aretha Claasen, testified that the victim was able to identify the accused, who was unknown to her, from a batch of photographs.

“On May 22, 2019 I was requested by the investigating officer in the matter to show photographs of suspects, which I already had on my laptop, to the victim. I had a folder of about 60 photos which I showed to the victim. The victim went through the pictures about three times before pointing out the accused as the person who raped her. She was not able to tell me the name of the suspect when she pointed him out,” said Claasen.

Ndlovu is accused of raping the young girl on January 17, 2019 in an open field in Galeshewe.

The State, represented by advocate Keageletse Ilanga, alleges that Ndlovu raped the minor in an open veld behind the Galeshewe police station after he had apparently told her to accompany him to a tuck shop.

The minor was apparently looking for empty egg boxes in an open veld in Santa Square. It is alleged that the accused took off the shorts and underwear of the minor, whereafter he raped her and then walked away.

According to evidence the child suffered a serious injury, with a tear stretching from her vagina to her anus, due to the rape. The child had to undergo surgery to try and repair the damage to her body.

The case continues today.

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