CCTV footage of rape draws gasps

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CCTV footage showing police arriving at the scene of a rape and having to pepper-spray the rapist and literally drag him off his victim was shown to a shocked court on Monday.

Njungo Kiveit, 27, has pleaded not guilty in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court to a charge of rape.

Testifying was Safe City CCTV operator, Ntombifuthi Mkhize, who said she was on duty when she noticed a woman leave the Kismet Hotel. She said a man had followed the woman.

Mkhize played the CCTV footage of the morning of June 20 last year to the court and narrated the events that unfolded.

“Both of them appeared to be drunk and I saw the man trying to put his arm around her, and the woman pushing him away. That is what got my attention,” Mkhize said.

She said that she noticed the woman begin to walk faster to try to get away from the man, but he continued to follow her.

Eventually, Mkhize said she saw the man pin the woman against a wall in Retief Street and began trying to kiss and fondle her.

“I contacted the police and they were dispatched to the scene.

“I could see the lady trying to push the man away and hitting at him, but she had no power. I assume because she was drunk,” Mkhize said.

Graphic video footage of the attack elicited gasps from the court gallery.

The footage then showed three policemen arriving on the scene, but still the man did not get off the woman.

Police beat the man with a baton, but still he refused to get off. Pepper spray was then sprayed in the man’s face and police were obliged to drag him off the woman, who was lying on the ground, crying.

The man was arrested on the scene and immediately a close-up picture from the CCTV camera was taken of his face, to prevent him denying that he had been at the scene. He was later identified.

In his not guilty plea, Kiveit told magistrate Rose Mogwera that on the night of June 19 last year he had met the 20-year old woman at the hotel bar.

He said that they had kissed and had spoken of having sex.

The two then left the bar and were walking along Retief Street when he began proposing love to her.

“I put my arm around her, but she was having none of it. I then became aggressive and pinned her to the wall.

“She then dropped to the ground and I pulled down her pants and tried to rape her,” Kiveit said.

He said the police arrived before he could.

The victim testified that Kiveit had followed her out of the bar.

“I was quite drunk and tried to walk faster but he grabbed me by my clothes and made me fall to the ground,” the woman said.

She said Kiveit pulled down her pants and raped her.

“When I tried to scream for help he strangled me,” the woman said.

The trial is set to continue on July 2.