Johannesburg - The State on Tuesday submitted that Johannesburg modelling agency boss Dawie De Villiers’s testimony in his rape, sexual assault and fraud trial was contradictory and that this suggested he was being dishonest.
During proceedings at the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court, State prosecutor Arveena Persad recalled that the alleged rape victim cried throughout her testimony earlier in the trial and told the court that she would not have been able to continue in that manner for about three days if she had been lying.
“One could see in her eyes and the condition she was in, that that was one of a victim,” Persad said.
De Villiers is facing a range of charges including rape, sexual assault, sexual grooming, intimidation, fraud and possession of child pornography. He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Persad argued that De Villiers used his modelling agency to have access to his victims, some of whom have accused him of rape, sexual assault and fraud.
“She [referring to a girl who accused De Villiers of sexual assault] testified that when they went to De Villiers’s home, he was only expecting the girl to be alone and not to come with her mother, which is what the alleged rape victim said as well,” Persad said.
Persad and Judge Cassim Moosa went through the evidence that the complainant gave to the court of what happened when she was allegedly raped by De Villiers.
Moosa asked Persad what she made of the victim not reporting the incident to her father immediately after it happened.
“She said if she informed her parents they would stop her from modelling which is what another model said when testifying against De Villiers who allegedly tried to kiss her,” Persad said.
“Remember the BBM messages where De Villiers said he recorded them having sex, she saw the laptops and saw him open them, so she then told the court that she had consensual sex with De Villiers twice before the rape occurred. She didn’t know the law, she was only 16 at the time. This witness did not lie about the rape.”
Moosa asked Persad what she made of the victim visibly becoming more upset during her testimony and whether it was part of an alleged plot against De Villiers.
“At that point a ploy wasn’t put to her, the conspiracy theory built up after that. Things changed and more people were included but some weren’t questioned about it. The conspiracy theory doesn’t make sense,” Persad responded.
Earlier in the case, De Villiers said that the charges and evidence was all part of a conspiracy against him.
“She could’ve easily given up if she was lying and reached a point where she would’ve had enough, she said it was too painful to read her statement, she revealed very personal information even saying she felt like a prostitute, those aren’t words of someone creating a crime,” Persad said.
“Why is she so emotional if she wasn’t really raped, two other witnesses described how much she cried when she spoke to them. She didn’t only get emotional in court.”
Persad argued that the alleged rape victim took time away from her work and child to come to court.
Judge Moosa put it to Persad that the defence could argue that the rape victim initially said that she was a virgin and changed her story and said that she had had sexual intercourse twice before the alleged rape incident.
“She did say that she was a virgin when she first met him,” Persad conceded.
The State later argued about evidence that was brought forward regarding sexual assault charges, where De Villiers allegedly pressed his penis against one of his models and put his hands up her skirt, as well as the evidence by people that were defrauded by De Villiers.
African News Agency