Komatipoort - A Mpumalanga man accused of raping a 10-year-old girl has been referred to Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital for mental evaluation.
The accused, 30, who may be named until he has pleaded, appeared briefly in the Tonga Magistrate's Court on Tuesday morning, a Sapa correspondent reported.
“You are remanded in custody and you will be also transferred to Weskoppies for mental evaluation,” said magistrate Snowy Masango.
The accused, who is from Sibhejane village near the Swaziland and Mozambican borders, was arrested on August 16 at his parent's house.
The magistrate, the prosecutor and the people attending the court on Tuesday burst out laughing when the accused asked where Weskoppies was.
“Weskoppies is in Pretoria. Why are you asking such a question?” asked the magistrate.
The accused told the court that one of the policemen at Tonga police station had told him Weskoppies was in Mbombela.
“You will be evaluated at Weskoppies in Pretoria, not Nelspruit (Mbombela),” Masango said.
Masango postponed the case to April 1 for the mental evaluation report.
Sapa