A man appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates Court this week for allegedly raping his girlfriend. The 30-year-old man from Olievenhoutbosch outside Centurion is also accused of assaulting his girlfriend for questioning him about the incident the next day.

SHE REFUSED

It is alleged that the pair was at their place of residence on 9 June when the accused demanded sex from the victim. National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said it is alleged that the accused raped his girlfriend after she had refused to have sexual intercourse with him. "The following day after the incident, the girlfriend questioned the accused about what had happened the previous night, however, the accused then physically assaulted her, and she then reported the matter to the police."

NO MEANS NO

The accused was arrested on 11 June 2023, after the girlfriend pointed him out to the police. The MeToo movement has clarified that a person can be legally charged with rape even if there is an existing relationship. "Key to this definition is the existence of the attacker holding a position of power over the victim. This is partly due to the fact that many women who experience marital or intimate partner sexual assault do not realize they have been raped, " the organisation said in a statement, adding that marital rape is defined as any unwanted sexual penetration (vaginal, anal, or oral) or contact with the genitals that is the result of actual or threatened physical force or when the woman is unable to give affirmative consent. The case has been postponed to 19 June 2023, for a formal bail application.