Staff Reporter
THE Namibian Police have registered four cases of rape over the past weekend and apprehended five suspects in connection with the alleged crimes.
Three of the four cases involved excessive alcohol consumption by the suspect, the victim, or both.
In Karasburg, a 19-year-old girl was reportedly raped while she was asleep and heavily intoxicated at around 05:00 on Saturday.
According to the police, the victim and a group of friends returned from a club and asked for a place to sleep at a friend’s residence. The 33-year-old male suspect was directed to sleep in the sitting room while the victim and her friends slept in another room. However, the victim woke up at 05:00 to find someone on top of her.
Also on Saturday, a 24-year-old male suspect was arrested in Tsumeb’s Kuvukiland location for allegedly raping an 18-year-old girl.
It is alleged that the suspect went to the victim’s residence in the early morning hours of Saturday looking for his girlfriend. After an intense disagreement, the girlfriend walked away, leaving the suspect at the residence. The suspect then allegedly turned his attention to his girlfriend’s female friend and raped her.
Another incident of rape was reported in Aroab on Saturday, where two male suspects were arrested for allegedly raping a 23-year-old woman while she was asleep and intoxicated.
According to the police, the victim and the suspects had been drinking with other friends at the victim’s house. The victim became intoxicated and fell asleep. While she was sleeping, she allegedly felt someone on top of her. In the morning, she realized her pants had been removed. One of the suspects was lying next to her, while the other was on a couch in the same room.
Meanwhile, in Ariamsvlei, a case of rape was reported on Friday between 22:00 and 23:00. In this incident, the suspect was allegedly under the influence of alcohol.
It is alleged that a 32-year-old suspect raped an 18-year-old woman he had brought from Karasburg to stay with him for the weekend. The suspect and the victim reportedly had drinks with his colleagues, after which he proposed to her. Initially, she refused, but later agreed out of fear.
When the suspect fell asleep, the victim grabbed the keys to the house and his cellphone, locked him inside, and used his phone to call her father in Karasburg. Her father later arrived and rescued her.
All five suspects in the four incidents have been arrested and are expected to appear in court in their respective magisterial jurisdictions today.
